Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – The season three finale of Mr. Robot promises to revisit the place where all of this madness began. Hopefully that means Elliot will finally be reconciling the events of his childhood but he’s got plenty to do before then.

Empire (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Season four ends with Cookie and Lucious concocting an elaborate plan to get rid of Diana Dubois and her family for good.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Veronica uncovers a dirty secret her family’s been keeping from her as FP and Jughead find themselves at odds thanks to Penny Peabody; Betty and Archie have a dangerous showdown with the Black Hood.

The Librarians (TNT, 8:00 p.m.) – Season four kicks off with Flynn and the Librarians teaming up with a surprising ally to stop a secret sect of the Vatican from destroying the Library of Alexandria.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Dylan takes a vow of silence to better understand what JJ goes through and Ray brokers a meeting between his girlfriend’s mother and Maya, only to realize they have a history.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The family’s plans for a nice, peaceful holiday are ruined when two guests arrive unannounced bringing secrets and scandals with them.

Golden Globes 75th Anniversary Special (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) — Eric McCormack and Debra Messing host this look at memorable moments from the Golden Globes in order to drum up some excitement for the actual show happening next year. You know what might get people interested? Not snubbing movies and actors we loved this year. #JusticeForTiffanyHaddish

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Jay’s a little miffed when Claire scores a big opportunity for their closet business and Mitchell tries to spark a romance between Pam and her ex-boyfriend in order to get her out of the house.

Vikings (History) – The Saxons decide to base their battle plans off Bishop Heahmund’s visions and Bjorn Ironside finds himself in a new territory where he must convince the local commander he is a trader and not a raider.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – The Otto family struggles to keep their Christmas traditions going when Doris goes into labor and Katie rushes to the hospital to be with her.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — It’s Christmas Day and President Kirkman is alerted to a group of religious extremists who refuse to evacuate when a forest fire threatens to engulf their cabin.

Wormwood (Netflix) — Errol Morris explores a CIA conspiracy involving LSD, Cold War secrets, and the death of Army scientist Frank Olson in this new documentary from Netflix.

Jean-Claude Van Johnson (Amazon) – This new comedy is basically an ode to Jean-Claude Van Damme and his over-the-top action movies. The show follows an action star as he sheds his famous persona and resumes his real life – as a secret agent.

The Ranch (Netflix) – The Ranch returns for its second season’s midseason premiere so if you don’t mind watching a show with an alleged rapist as its star, here’s your chance. To be fair, Netflix has promised us that season three of the series won’t have said alleged rapist in it, and who knows, maybe it’ll actually be good this time?

One thing you can say about TV in 2017: there certainly was a lot of it. And a lot of it was new, too. Alan Sepinwall included a fair number of new series on his Top 20 list and still managed to make a list of 10 more worthy shows. We polled a bunch of Uproxx writers for their favorite shows and found even more.

What Is Your Favorite New Show Of 2017?

CBS

Star Trek: Discovery, by a mile. I’ve already written about the first half of the season, and watching the first few episodes brought back everything I loved about Star Trek and (almost) nothing that made me cringe. — Dan Seitz

Hulu

The Handmaid’s Tale for a variety of reasons, mainly because it felt so relevant watching Elisabeth Moss defy the patriarchy while smirking under her bonnet. It also did my soul good to see more of Ann Dowd. You can never have too much Ann Dowd. –– Jessica Toomer

Hulu

With cinematic entries like The Dark Knight and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, comic book adaptations have proven their critical worth on the big screen. The small screen, however, is a different story. Or at least that was until 2017, when FX and Hulu gifted audiences with Legion and Runaways, respectively. The first’s merits are well established, but the latter — created by The O.C. and Gossip Girl alums Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage — is only a few episodes into its first season run. Never fear, for the adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona’s popular Marvel series not only stays true to the spirit of the source material, but also expands the story into something genre aficionados and lay audiences alike can appreciate. It’s a perfect mix of faithfulness and experimentation that doesn’t go quite to Legion’s extremes but nonetheless presents a fun, digestible story. — Andrew Husband

Netflix

2017 was a painful year for women. (I mean, it’s always been rough but you catch my drift.) So seeing a scrappy group of misfit ladies come together and find meaning through wrestling in GLOW was pretty damn wonderful. If you didn’t shed a tear when Machu Picchu won her final fight while her dad cheered her on, you might be a robot. And the only good robot is one that’s full of drugs. –– Alyssa Fikse

HBO

Pete Holmes is a talented and affable comedian whose TBS late night show stood out for its want to evade the creative status quo in the genre. That it died quickly is a shame, but without that failure Crashing never would have come to be. Produced by Holmes and Judd Apatow as a scripted comedy, Holmes’ character’s try to make a living as a stand-up comedian feels like a fantastical odyssey as he teams up with strange and interesting personalities for a series of awkward adventures that help teach him how to survive in the world of the New York comedy scene. All this while dealing with the end of a marriage that was an obvious (to everyone but him) poor fit. There are times when you’ll wince at what Pete says, does, or experiences, specifically as they pertain to the way he processes the crude way his marriage ended, but it’s impossible to hate on Holmes’ wide-eyed creation and the show. — Jason Tabrys

Netflix

I really enjoyed Mindhunter and ended up binging it over a weekend. I’ve always enjoyed David Fincher’s work and feel like Zodiac might be his best. Naturally, I got excited when I heard he was doing a show based on one of the best true crime books available. And that was before watching. Holden Ford is a flawed character, but he’s the type of flawed that I can relate to. The interest he takes in these monsters is something you’ll find in any true crime fan out there. The show came at the perfect time to mesh with my interests and ended up being a solid television experience beyond that. — Andrew Roberts

What was the best TV performance of 2017? That’s a tough question to answer, if only because of the sheer volume of television anyone would need to sort through in order to form an opinion. Nonetheless, we put the question to our staff and came back with some compelling answers.

NBC

We already knew Ted Danson was an okay television actor. There’s a little bit of history there. But it’s still nice to see him flourishing like this. The twist at the end of the first season of The Good Place and the subsequent fallout in season two has given him the opportunity to really let it all hang out. He gets to play dopey and naive, he gets to play sneaky and evil, he even gets to show real emotion every now and then, like he did in the scene with Janet in his office. That scene, despite taking place in a mostly silly comedy about the afterlife that never passes up an opportunity for terrible/genius puns, was as touching as anything that happened in any drama this year. Like I said, he’s an okay television actor. I’m glad we’re finally recognizing that. — Brian Grubb

Netflix

John Mulaney got handed a really hard job playing Andrew Glouberman in Big Mouth, which required him to find the comedy in being the only kid not going through puberty just yet and being utterly baffled as to what the hell’s going on all around him. But he also keeps the show on an even keel and manages to foreground just how ridiculous puberty actually looks when you’re on either side of it without coming off as smug. — Dan Seitz

Showtime

I want to pull someone from Twin Peaks‘ because it was full of the most enjoyable performances I got to see this year. I’m spoiled for choice, but if I went with my heart, I’d say Harry Dean Stanton‘s return as Carl Rodd was worthy of being the best of 2017. But I’m also sure I’m not alone in thinking that. For pure entertainment throughout the entire season, I’d have to go with Jim Belushiand Robert Knepper as the Mitchum Brothers. They’re responsible for some of the more joyous moments of the Las Vegas story in Lynch’s revival and also fit in right alongside the other odd characters from the original series. If Stanton is the safe choice, Belushi and Knepper are the wildcards. — Andrew Roberts

FX

I’m going with Aubrey Plaza in Legion, specifically the dance montage she gifts us in “Chapter 6.” Plaza pretty much destroyed any boxes people tried to place her in after Parks and Recreation with this role. Not only is she wildly entertaining to watch, she actually gives a comic book story a credibly threatening, believably complex villain. And no one does crazy like her. — Jessica Toomer

Hulu

Marvel and Hulu’s Runaways is, by the very nature of its source material, an ensemble show. There is no single character or performer who stands out as the primary protagonist or antagonist, nor should there be. Yet, unlike the comics, which spent most of their time with the titular group of kids who ran away from their villainous parents, Runaways the show spends some extra time with these so-called villains. And villains they are, because they end up doing some pretty horrible things, but the extra time and story afforded to them by creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage let the actors flesh out the characters in some rather surprising ways. This is especially the case for Kevin Weisman (Alias) and Brigid Brannagh (Army Wives), who play the Yorkes. Dale (Weisman) and Stacey (Brannagh) are two of the mousier members of The Pride, and — per the episodes screened so far — are the first to question the group‘s motivations and actions. Meanwhile, they genuinely care for their daughter Gert (Ariela Barer) and her adopted sister Molly (Allegra Acosta). All of the parents in Runaways exert this push-and-pull dynamic one some form or another, but Weisman and Brannagh’s Yorkes present it with far more nuance and conflict. On the one hand, it’s hard not to feel for them and the predicament they find themselves in with The Pride. On the other hand, one wants Gert and Molly to run away as fast as they can. — Andrew Husband

Hulu

Alexis Bledel in The Handmaid’s Tale. Of course, Elisabeth Moss was good. She’s always good. And it isn’t that Bledel wasn’t talented before. It is just that every character she played had the unshakeable shades of Gilmore. However, her performance as Ofglen totally blew me away. Her punishment was one of the most devastating sequences that I’ve ever seen on television, and Bledel sold it with the mix of fear and defiance in her eyes. I hope we see more of this potent rage in season two. — Alyssa Fikse

HBO

The TV performance of 2017 came from Carrie Coon. I suppose I could say the best performances, but with all due respect to her fine acting as former sheriff Gloria Burgle from Fargo, I’m talking about her work as Nora Durst on The Leftovers. Powerful enough to shatter the barrier between universes — whether between the world of The Leftovers and the world where the Suddenly Departed may have gone, or between the world of the show and our own — yet incredibly vulnerable and often darkly funny, it was astonishing to behold, week after painful, shocking, hysterical week, until the series finale made the very wise decision to put Nora in every single scene, and almost every single frame. When you’ve got a natural resource this great, you use it as often as you can while you still have the chance. — Alan Sepinwall

Amazon

Comic book-inspired TV shows typically lean on sidekicks and other vulnerable and more human characters to establish a connection to reality, but few are as vulnerable and as inspiring in their slow run-up to their own brand of heroism than Arthur (Griffin Newman) on The Tick. The show wisely pins a lot of its emotions to his origin story in the first season of the rebooted live action show. Without Arthur, The Tick might feel like a bland farce. And without Newman’s mousy-but-determined portrayal, Arthur’s struggles would come off as hollow. — Jason Tabrys

The Gifted (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Season one ends with Jade facing a moral crossroads and Reed and Caitlin taking matters into their own hands when it comes to fighting the Sentinel Services.

Judd Apatow: The Return (Netflix) – Judd Apatow returns to stand-up after 25 years with this new Netflix special that sees him riffing on everything from fatherhood and marriage to Trump, Obama, and career fails.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Kevin ends up cock-blocking Vanessa after she asks him to help her get a date with a hot personal trainer and he uses the opportunity to begin training with the guy.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Season three ends with Lucifer doing everything in his power to get his devil face back and Trixie questioning her relationship with her dad after meeting Charlotte.

The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – More families enter their over-the-top decorations into the competition. Tonight, a synchronized light show in Florida, and 80 foot tall Christmas tree in Pennsylvania, and a patriotic display in North Dakota get their time in the spotlight.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – The Top 8 artists team up for competitive mash-up duets.

Man With a Plan (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) – Andi helps Kate fight for a spot on the boys’ soccer team and points out Adam’s unconscious bias in his hiring methods when he only interviews men for a new job. In other words, Andi’s really putting in work this episode.

Superior Donuts (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Franco tries to get Arthur and the rest of the shop into the holiday spirit when he offers to help a homeless man get back on his feet and Tush and Sweatpants compete to be the more popular Santa.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — The Shadow Raiders are sent out on a mission which, if successful, could mean a dire outcome for Nora and Gallo.

9JKL (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) – Harry and Judy land background roles after visiting the set of Josh’s new movie and making an impression on the director.

Scorpion (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – The team tries to get their minds off Cabe’s possible prison stint by focusing their energy on trying to save a dog stuck in a cistern.

The Bachelor: Countdown to Arie (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — A preview of Season 22 features a look at Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s life, his family and love of racing, including his journey to find love with one of America’s favorite Bachelorettes, Emily Maynard, and how his heart was broken. In other words, ABC’s hoping you take pity on a wealthy white guy because a woman rejected him.

Better Late than Never (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Henry Winkler, William Shatner, George Foreman, Terry Bradshaw, and comedian Jeff Dye preview the second season of their travel series by heading to Munich, Berlin, Lithuania, Sweden, Barcelona, Madrid, and Morocco.

The Crown (Netflix) – Season two follows Elizabeth as a fully matured monarch who’s having a tough time managing her rebellious husband and appearing likable to her people. There’s plenty of emphasis on Prince Philip this time around, which doesn’t always serve the narrative, but it’s still fascinating to watch.

Psych: The Movie (USA, 8:00 p.m.) – Psych is playing homage to the original bromance that made fans fall in love with the series by reuniting Shawn and Gus one last time to take on the vengeful Thin White Duke.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – A familiar face comes to town and Carmine Falcone pays Gordon, Sophia, and Penguin a visit as Alfred does his best to get through to an increasingly emo Bruce Wayne.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Jack teams up with a dreamcatcher named Kaia to help him find Mary Winchester and prove to the guys that he can control his powers but the rescue doesn’t go as planned and it’s the brothers who end up needing to be saved.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Sheldon and Amy try to use their equation-loving brains to make wedding planning less stressful and Koothrappali “breaks up” with Wolowitz after realizing his best friend is actually hurting his confidence.

Thursday Night Football: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (NBC, 8:20 p.m.) — Sean Payton’s Saints bring a 3-0 division record into the first of two meetings this month with rival Atlanta.

Young Sheldon (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) – When Meemaw refuses to disclose her biscuit recipe to the family, the kids brainstorm ways to keep the peace.

Arrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — Black Siren and Cayden James kidnap Quentin Lance in the hopes of trading him for a weapon of mass destruction and Team Arrow must figure out a way to rescue their friend without risking the city.

The Great American Baking Show (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Season three kicks off with cake recipes and some morning treats.

Van Helsing (Syfy, 9:00 p.m.) — Axel and Scarlett are on the run from a viscous breed of vampire and the town has a bloody standoff with law enforcement.

Mom (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Bonnie sets up a meeting with Adam’s estranged brother, Patrick, but things get weird when he takes an interest in Christy.

The Orville (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – The crew crash-land on a planet in an alternate universe just as Ed and Kelly begin to rekindle their romance.

Life in Pieces (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — Tim goes overboard when keeping a watchful eye on Samantha and her boyfriend and Heather makes things awkward when she tries to become Tyler’s cool best friend.

S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Hondo puts his faith in the team’s newest member when he lets Jim Street go undercover as a broker in a luxury car theft ring to bust a ruthless trafficker.

On Monday night, late-night host John Oliver used an anniversary screening of Wag the Dog to grill actor Dustin Hoffman about sexual harassment allegations.

Oliver, who was moderating a panel that included the film’s director, Barry Levinson, producer Jane Rosenthal, and Robert De Niro, brought up accusations made by Anna Graham Hunter earlier this year claiming that Hoffman made inappropriate comments and groped her when she was a 17-year-old intern working on a Hoffman-starring 1985 TV movie adaptation of Death of a Salesman. The Washington Postwas able to snag a video of the conversation in case you’d like to watch it in all its cringe-worthy glory, but it’s not the confrontation – which went on for nearly 20 minutes and at times became rather heated – or Hoffman’s shitty response to Oliver’s questioning that we need to talk about now; it’s how this video has sparked such a divisive response and what that means going forward.

Because here’s the thing: as empowering and illuminating as the #MeToo movement has been so far, what does it ultimately achieve if we aren’t willing to do more than just “support” women?

While plenty of people praised the late-night host, the negative response to Oliver’s takedown is telling of a larger problem: we’re quick to share hashtagged horror stories of our own, to “stand behind” and retweet the voices of others, and to laud the people responsible for forcing habitual sexual predators like Harvey Weinstein to scurry from their seedy, shadowy holes of unchallenged authority and stand in the unforgiving light of justice via collective shaming. We want to decry Weinstein, with his amassed years of sexual abuse and manipulation, we want to shake our heads at Louis C.K. for whipping out his penis while standing on a feminist platform in his comedy routines, we want to demand Senator Al Franken, Judge Roy Moore, and even the president of the United States be removed from office. But we shy away from the more intimate action, from the dirty work that is required if we’re going to truly purge ourselves of this plague.

I’ll be the first to admit that what Oliver did, while not surprising since this is a guy who’s made a name via scathing attacks on injustice and political hypocrisy, was pretty difficult to watch. The idea of confrontation, public or otherwise, is foreign and unnerving to me and I’d like to think I’m not alone. My mother is a “peacemaker,” my best friend is “easy-going,” I’m a “people-pleaser.” These are all words that have been reshaped by our patriarchal culture to suffocate dissent, to silence opposition, to effectively mute the voices of women by painting their antithetical as less than desirable. Why be difficult when you can be liked? Why make waves when you can fly under the radar? Why speak up when you can suffer in silence for the comfort of someone more privileged and powerful than yourself? It’s part of the reason why women struggle with coming forward with their stories about sexual harassment and assault. We think, “Maybe I overreacted? Maybe he didn’t mean to brush up against me in the boardroom? He jokes like that all the time, there’s no harm in it. Boys will be boys.” We make excuses and shove down our intuition and self-respect to appease others.

It’s also, infuriatingly enough, why this shit continues to happen. What the #MeToo movement has done is given us a revolutionary opportunity, but we’re only at the starting line of this long, painful marathon. We’ve got miles to go before there’s any kind of gratifying end in sight, and if we continue to buy into the lie that hashtagging and placing women on magazine covers and applauding survivors is enough, this reckoning will be wasted and short-lived. If women like Rose McGowan, Tarana Burke, and Ashley Judd, and men like Terry Crews and Anthony Rapp, are going to possess the courage to share their heartbreaking testimonies in order to send these cockroaches scrambling, the rest of us have to have the f*cking gumption to exterminate them.

Oliver did what any self-professed male “ally” should be doing all the damn time – to his co-workers, his friends, his relatives, strangers on the street, his local bodega guy. If you want to affect change, toss this mythical notion of comfort out the window. These women weren’t comfortable when they were being groped, fondled, catcalled, raped, marginalized, and humiliated. We shouldn’t be comfortable giving the stage (and our congenial silence) to a man, however noteworthy and talented, accused of participating in such behavior.

But Oliver’s interrogation didn’t just make people uncomfortable, it made them downright angry. For some reason, Oliver’s decision to address the allegations against Hoffman prompted actor Michael Rapaport to spew out a steady stream of tweets that claimed Oliver should’ve asked for permission from Hoffman to speak on the issue.

This Motherfucka John Oliver calling Dustin Hoffman “Dustin”Motherfucka you address this man as Mr.Hoffman.You came to moderate a discussion about a movie #JohnOliver, you selfish fuck,you ruined paying customers evening out in Manhattan

Ron Perlman, who’s been outspoken on twitter against Judge Roy Moore and the RNC’s endorsement of him, also seemed to take issue with Oliver’s questioning, claiming that Oliver picked the “wrong time” to debate with Hoffman and that he was using the incident as some kind of publicity stunt.

If john Oliver had any balls he’d have asked Hoffman backstage for his permission to ask him tough questions

I got no problem having a serious discussion about the actions of Dustin Hoffman in an appropriate venue. John Oliver’s a show boater who picked the wrong fucking time and the wrong fucking place to make the story about himself.

But it’s not just men who have an issue with the video. The women of The View seemed to take Oliver to task for calling Hoffman out at the screening. Not only did most of them, save Sunny Hostin, think it was the inappropriate time to talk about the allegations, Joy Behar thought Oliver “sandbagged” Hoffman and Whoopi Goldberg questioned how long Hoffman must respond to these accusations if he believes he did nothing wrong.

We push for men to do more, to say something, to stand in solidarity with women, but when they do, we retreat to the easy routine of sweeping dirt under rugs and purging our collective consciousness of unpleasantness. We want this shit to stop, we want women to feel safe in their place of work, we want children to be protected from sexual predators, we want respect to be a basic right, not a bodily transaction, we want to wear skirts and not field comments about our “great legs” or have co-workers pry into our sex lives.

We shouldn’t have to want for civility, security, and equality, they should be guaranteed to us based on the principles of basic human decency but since they’re not, since we’ve been forced for centuries to endure this specific kind of hell that’s robbed us of our autonomy and drained our self-respect, here’s what we have to do: we have to be okay with not being comfortable.

If watching Oliver roast Hoffman over a pit of flames pissed you off like it did Rapaport and Perlman and the women of The View, then it’s time to start thinking of yourself as part of the problem and begin accepting that you’ll soon be living in a constant state of rage from now on. Because, like Oliver, we won’t be asking for permission to question powerful men accused of vile acts, we won’t be concerned with picking the “appropriate place and time” to defend women who have been oppressed and abused, and we sure as hell won’t be accepting half-assed apologies like the one Hoffman gave Monday night, the “I’m sorry if’s” or the “I don’t recalls.”

And if, like me, watching Oliver skewer Hoffman in that video made you uncomfortable and outraged at the same time, here’s your permission to bask in that feeling. It’s okay to be to be uneasy, unsure, and, also unapologetically pissed off. It’s okay to struggle with the right way to confront someone about things they’ve done wrong or even agonize over having that difficult conversation. Oliver admittedly did.

Happy! (Syfy, 10:00 p.m.) – This weird new offering from Syfy is based on a graphic novel by the same name. Christopher Meloni plays Nick Sax, a dirty ex-cop-turned-hit-man who seems to be enjoying his aimless life of booze, drugs, and sex until a job goes south and the police and the mob try to hunt him down. There’s also another killer on the loose, a missing kid, and an imaginary blue Pegasus named Happy, who helps Nick in his quest to clear his name by remaining exasperatingly optimistic all the time. Told you it was weird.

Knightfall (HIST, 10:00 p.m.) – History’s newest drama chronicles the rise, but mostly the fall of the Knights Templar who were persecuted, tortured, and burned at the stake in 1307. In the opening episode, a Knight named Landry has doubts about the Order’s destiny as the brothers take up arms to defend one of their own.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – After serving the shortest sentence possible for hiding a dead kid’s body, FP is released from jail and Jughead plans a welcome home party for his dad with help from Betty and the Serpents.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – The castaways are visited by loved ones and another immunity idol is up for grabs.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Beverly is forced to make some big life changes after Erica demands some space from her mom while she’s doing her whole college thing.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – JJ and Ray win tickets to an early screening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi but JJ is tempted to the dark side when a pretty classmate tries to convince him to give her his friend’s pass.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The city’s annual tree lighting ceremony stirs up ghosts from the family’s past as Fallon tries to move on from her former flame and Steven and Jeff band together to right an old wrong.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) — The cops get tangled in an elaborate online hoax that leads to the rape of a popular social media star. Seriously, how many rape cases does this show have per season? Anyone got any numbers?

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Mitchell’s plan to teach Cam and Lily a lesson backfires as Phil strikes out on his own in the real estate game, but not before he embarks on a solo camping trip to help boost his confidence.

SEAL Team (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Clay survives his first day with Jason’s unit as the team attempt to rescue a Russian scientist and his wife in Afghanistan.

Star (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Things don’t go as planned during a radio interview to promote the upcoming showcase and the love triangle drama between Noah, Alex, and Star intensifies.

Vikings (HIST, 9:00 p.m.) – With tensions running high, Ragnar Lothbrok’s sons are pitted against each other following the battle at York and each must choose a side.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Greg and Katie befriend a new couple who happen to not have kids and Anna-Kat pressures Taylor and Oliver into helping her with a storytelling project, which turns out to be a little more gruesome than intended.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – Voight finally discovers the identity of the mole in his precinct as the unit investigates a pill mill spreading into the Chicago suburbs after the overdose of a judge’s daughter.

Criminal Minds (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Two members of a conspiracy group in Roswell, New Mexico go missing so the team heads out there to do some digging.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Hannah continues to hunt down leads to exonerate the first lady as the White House interns begin answering letters addressed to the president – letters that may lead them to saving a life.

Superstore (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) – Glenn tries to get Mateo into the Christmas spirit and Amy shows off her wild side by throwing a holiday party that turns into a storewide event.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Iris must make an impossible choice when both Caitlin and Barry are kidnapped by different villains. Amunet holds Caitlin hostage, stripping her of her Killer Frost abilities in order to force her to perform a medical procedure while the Thinker traps the Flash in a speedster-proof prison.

Lethal Weapon (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Murtaugh and Trish struggle to get Harper into an elite preschool while the cops are drawn into a fatal world of conspiracy theories.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Frankie agonizes over what to place in the city’s time capsule while Mike begins to appreciate his wife more after hearing of another couple’s separation and Brick completes three acts of bravery to win back his girlfriend.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Another contestant gets the boot.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Eddie realizes he may need to get cooler friends if he wants to be popular in high school and Jessica pockets the money she receives for a professional photo for her book cover and enlists Honey’s help in taking the shot herself.

Blackish (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Bow convinces Dre there’s more to charity than just cutting a check after he’s chosen to lead Stevens & Lido’s new charity campaign. Ruby chaperones a trip with the kids after Junior fails his driving test.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Still reeling from recent events, the team investigates an anachronism in a Viking settlement in the New World that pits them against a powerful, revenge-seeking Damien Darhk.

The Mick (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Mickey and Jimmy question their relationship while Chip goes in search of his biological father.

Will & Grace (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Will, Grace, Karen, and Jack wish they had experienced Christmas in old New York City but soon come to realize the past wasn’t as inclusive and diverse as they’d hoped.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) — While the entire precinct attends a funeral in L.A., Holt learns that he is in the running to become Chief Commissioner of the NYPD. But after missing their flight back home, Jake must devise a variety of ways to get Holt back in time for the interview.

The Mayor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) — After Courtney and his crew discover the historic music venue in Fort Grey, Tito’s Ballroom, is closing down due to increased rent costs, he attempts to save the club by sponsoring a music festival and enlists Bay Area rap legend E-40 to headline the event.

Chicago Med (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Rhodes and Ava continue to compete in the operating room as new budget proposals cause headaches for all of the doctors.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Kevin must choose between completing his mission to help a struggling artist pursue his dreams and making it to Reese’s school play.

Shut Eye (Hulu) – Season two kicks off with Charlie housing a murderous Fonso as he maps out a new plan to dig his family business out from under Romani rule. He’s also still having those pesky supernatural visions.

The Gifted (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – The team crafts a pretty dangerous plan to free mutants currently in Sentinel Services’ custody while Reed reveals details to Andy and Lauren about the Struckers’ family history that could prove to be a game-changer.

Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight (Netflix) – Craig Ferguson’s getting a new stand up special on Netflix tonight where he jokes about ’70s porn, Japanese toilets, and his mildly crime-filled days as a talk show host.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Lucifer gets nervous after the recipients of his good deeds wind up dead so he and Chloe investigate and bump into the Sinnerman.

Supergirl (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Fresh off the supersized crossover world-saving event, Kara is busy looking into a mysterious new symbol popping up all over National City that could date back to an ancient prophecy and the mark of the World Killer, Reign.

The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Season five kicks off with four new families trying to out-do each other in the Christmas decorating department. A wireless light show in Texas, a life-sized gingerbread house in New York, a magical home in North Carolina, and a backyard with 78 Christmas trees compete for the most obnoxious holiday display tonight.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – The Top 10 battle it out.

Man With a Plan (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) – Adam goes on a misguided crusade when he suspects Kate’s boyfriend might be smoking pot and he’s shocked when Andi doesn’t support his policing efforts.

Ride With Norman Reedus (AMC, 9:00 p.m.) – Season two ends with Norman returning to his roots and taking a road trip around New York where he enjoys a bite with Mario Batali and explores the city’s art scene.

Superior Donuts (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Franco considers passing on his dream school after he finds out that Arthur went against his wishes and included his ethnicity on his college applications.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Gallo struggles with PTSD and Nora and Ian reach a critical point in their relationship.

9JKL (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — After surprising Andrew, Josh and Eve with the gift of family burial plots, Harry and Judy learn that Josh and Eve don’t want theirs, so they try to find a compatible couple to spend eternity with.

Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics (AMC, 10:00 p.m.) – Kirkman profiles seven renegade artists who broke free and created their own company to rival Marvel and D.C.

The Good Doctor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – The show takes on sexual harassment tonight when a gifted young doctor puts another resident in an awkward position. Meanwhile, Shaun fights against Glassman’s request that he see a therapist by trying to prove he can handle his relationship issues on his own.

Tarantula (TBS, 10:00 p.m.) – This new animated comedy from the guys that brought us Eastbound & Down and Futurama centers on a tattoo artist and the hijinks he gets up to at the Tierra Chula Resident Hotel.

Easy (Netflix) – Season two kicks off in much the same way as season one: by exploring the love lives of a handful of Chicago urbanites. Each episode focuses on a different character’s journey but this time, Aubrey Plaza, Kate Berlant, Joe Lo Truglio, Michaela Watkins, and Judy Greer are joining the cast.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Sam and Dean steal a mysterious trunk belonging to a demon in exchange for a locator spell the brothers can use to find Jack.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – An old video surfaces that exposes a long-held secret about Leonard and Penny’s relationship while Sheldon tries to teach the guys a lesson after they cut him out of a potentially valuable Bitcoin investment.

Life in Pieces (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — When Tim and Heather go to an expensive dinner to celebrate their anniversary, they are determined to finish every bite of their pricey 20-course meal.

S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Hondo and the team investigate a wealthy neighborhood after a string of robberies are committed and Deacon and Luca have their hands full protecting a hockey player who likes to live on the wild side.

Dark (Netflix) – Two children go missing in a German town and their disappearance unveils the sinful past of four families involved in the search. Apparently, this is the German answer to Stranger Things, minus the demogorgon action.

Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Elliot is reeling from the murders of his friends and tries to distance himself from Darlene in order to protect her but Darlene worries Elliot’s ghosting attempt might bring Edward back.

Vikings (History, 9:00 p.m.) – Season five premieres with Ragnar Lothbrok’s sons still feuding as the Vikings continue to threaten England. With King Aethelwulf and his family still in hiding, Heahmund, the warrior bishop, must rally the Saxons to defend the realm.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — Murray takes Adam out for a driving lesson and they learn something new about Pops in the process. Meanwhile, Erica has a hard time making friends at her school and turns down a toga party invitation.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – JJ convinces his parents to take him on a college tour but his ulterior motives are soon uncovered and he’s left recruiting a friend to get him out of trouble.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The family’s Thanksgiving celebrations are ruined when Blake clashes with both Fallon and Steven.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) — Benson must disclose the secrets of her past to help a rape victim recall the details of one terrible, traumatic night.

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – The family has some famous encounters when Phil shows a house to his musical hero, Jay finds himself serving jury duty alongside one of America’s biggest football icons, and Manny meets a big-name comedian.

Star (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Star’s jealousy finally kicks in when Noah and Alex begin spending more time together, both inside and outside of the studio and Ayanna throws a curveball, moving the showcase date up, giving everyone only two weeks to prepare.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Katie uses less-than-savory means to raise money for the Spring Gala when her fundraising comes up short and Taylor starts a revolution of her own when Greg takes her to a Revolutionary War re-enactment.

Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Bruno Mars sets up at the Apollo Theater, performing with his band The Hooligans and taking to the streets of Harlem.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – A congressman is found passed out in a hotel room with a dead girl and Burgess must choose between her personal and professional lives when her boyfriend’s Fed case interferes with the team’s investigation.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — While on a secret mission to Afghanistan, President Kirkman meets with two infamous warlords and must determine whom he can trust to hand over territories to the U.S.

Michelle Wolf is looking forward to the day when she can rant about the ridiculousness of rompers. The Daily Showcorrespondent, who’s gearing up for the debut of Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady, her first HBO stand-up special, on December 2nd, has spent the better part of three years cracking jokes about fake feminism, taking on the patriarchy, and hilariously educating late night show talk hosts like Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah about women’s issues. It may sound fun, but it’s actually exhausting.

Comedy wasn’t always Wolf’s path. She ran track in college and she was pretty good, too, until an injury sidelined her and somehow she ended up working on Wall Street where she yelled (a lot) and was pretty miserable. So the self-described “standard overachiever” threw herself into performing and poking fun at all of the bullshit women constantly trudge through. And, in 2017, there’s plenty of said bullshit to spin into comedy.

We talked to Wolf about finally making it with her HBO special, writing feminist jokes for men, and her very real fear of running out of Trump-food comparisons.

Do you ever have moments where you have to reign in the excitement about a piece of bad news?

I would love to have the struggle right now of making something incredibly policy-based funny, something incredibly boring very funny right now. I think that would be a nice relief.

It wasn’t long ago I remember you were doing your first stand-up show on Late Night. How do you go from working at a bank to working behind the desk at The Daily Show?

It was really just a real nose to the grindstone three years. I’m at my writing job during the day and then I’ll do stand-up at night. Even after working for 10 to 12 hours, I’ll do three to five shows a night.

Is there a reason you’re pushing yourself to just be doing comedy 24/7 at this point?

I have had this conversation with so many people that are like, “You need to have a life,” and it’s not that I don’t have a life. I do things, just not as maybe often as other people. It’s just my favorite thing to do. Taking a night off from comedy to go on a date with someone I’m probably not going to like anyway sounds like the worst trade-off in my mind.

Was there a moment when you realized you needed to pursue comedy?

You know what? I don’t know if it was a moment so much as it’s how I’ve always done everything. I’m a standard overachiever. I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of very interesting things and every time I’ve been like, “I want to put everything into this because I want to see how far I can go with it.” At the end of college, I wanted to take a break from school because I was a little burnt out and then I started working on Wall Street and that was the one where I very quickly realized, “This isn’t the one I want to throw my life into.”

Comedy and Wall Street seem a bit different.

Not the same. I think it’s also part of why I’ve thrown myself so much into comedy, because I’ve had a real job that was very intense and was not pleasant. I’m so lucky that I found comedy and that I get to do it for a living.

How do you go from Wall Street to Late Night with Seth Meyers then?

Seth is the absolute best. I know when you see him on TV you probably think he’s a nice guy and then you meet him and you’re like, “Oh, he’s even better than I thought.” He taught me so much. I really learned how to write a good joke when I worked with him. He’s a straight white guy, so all of your jokes have to be really good jokes. In my comedy, I can do it from a woman’s perspective. He can’t. They just have to be really good jokes. It’s right down the middle and you can’t get away with anything. No one’s going to give you any leeway.

I’m assuming you can’t write a joke that’s really from a woman’s point of view knowing that it’s going to be said by him on TV.

Exactly. It was actually super helpful for me at the show because there would be plenty of times during the day when I would write a joke and I would be like, “Oh, Seth can’t say that. He’s not a girl.” Then I would just get to save that joke for me.

Now you’re on The Daily Show where you’ve become known for tackling issues that affect women. Do you ever feel a responsibility to cover those issues? Or is it just purely by choice?

It’s more by choice. I don’t know want to cover anything that I can’t make funny. It’s hard. It was particularly hard with the Weinstein stuff where it is something that everyone was talking about but I don’t want to do it just to do it. I want to do it if it’s funny because I feel like we’re comedians before anything else. I think sometimes in that respect it’s hard, especially for me because I can get very angry or passionate about something and sometimes when you have a lot of emotions in something you can’t make it funny because you’re just too mad about it.

You’ve got a bit with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show where you’re constantly educating him about women’s issues. Please tell me that Trevor knows a bit more about women than he lets on, on the show.

Oh, yeah. It’s fun. It’s more like he’s just being the foil. I do think in general men think they know stuff about women and then I’m like, “You have no idea.” I think they can all use education. Women, we’re really nice about a lot of the stuff that happens to us. We [protect] the rest of the world from having to hear the horrors of our daily existence, you know? I don’t want to do that anymore. I don’t want to stop saying the ugly stuff that’s happening to me just because it hurts your male ears.

You’ve got your own stand-up special coming to HBO so you’ve officially made it.

I was so nervous. The last couple weeks before taping the special I’ve never been so uncomfortable. I felt like the way I feel like most girls feel about when they’re approaching their wedding. That’s how I felt about the special. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to deliver. Having an HBO special is a big deal in my head. It’s the gold standard. Like what we were talking about earlier, I haven’t been doing this very long and I didn’t want people to look at it and be like, “Why did they give her a special?”

You’ve done plenty of stand-up but how do you go about pacing a stand-up special?

It’s interesting because I was learning all of this for the first time this time. The set you might do at a club when you’re preparing for the special is probably going to be in a different order than the set that you do when you tape the special. [At the club] you’re trying to get them on your side immediately. The special is more about you. You want to start with something that’s like, “Hey, this is who I am.” Then you want to bring people in … It’s going to sound like I’m hunting soon. You want to lure people in and then get them on your side and then be like, “I believe she’s funny, now I’m ready to hear some of the crazier, more extreme points of view.”

How low are you running on Trump food comparisons right now?

I think we ran out of them a long time ago. They need to invent new vegetables so that we can be like, “He’s a rotten …” whatever kind of new squash they invent or something like that. We need to get the farming community involved.

Is there anything you would like to cover right now that doesn’t have to do with Trump or politics or terrible things? Maybe like male rompers or something?

I’m against any romper. This, to me, is a non-sex issue. Babies wear rompers or romper-similar outfits but they have little snaps at the bottom so they can go to the bathroom. They can get changed or whatever. The idea of a romper [on an adult] is absolute insanity to me. They look good on one percent of the population and even then looking good is, I think, a stretch. Outlaw it. There’s no reason for it.

I’m getting the feeling that maybe this could be the next segment on The Daily Show.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) – Mrs. Maisel gives us a fresh new take on making it in the comedy world from the perspective of a 1950s Jewish housewife who discovers her perfectly planned life isn’t as fulfilling as getting up on stage and behind the mic.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – The crossover continues as the gang battles Nazis and each other in order to save humanity and Oliver finds himself in the middle of the weirdest love triangle in superhero history.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – And now the crossover event comes to an end with our heroes (presumably) defeating their evil doppelgängers and maybe, just maybe, Barry and Iris finally getting hitched.

Lethal Weapon (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Riggs and Murtaugh investigate a murder at a local hospital that leads back to the mob and Murtaugh learns that Riana is secretly dating his neighbor and nemesis’ son.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) — Nine artists are revealed as safe by America’s votes and the bottom two artists compete for the Instant Save.

Major Crimes (TNT, 9:00 p.m.) – Sharon attempts to balance her personal life while the case of the St. Joseph’s Three comes to a surprising end.

The Mick (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Sabrina’s relationship with her poetry teacher has Mickey concerned, forcing her to take matters into her own hands.

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Jack takes Randall on a tour of Harvard while in the present, Randall and Beth are faced with a hard choice.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) – Terry’s favorite author pops up at the precinct after his manuscript is stolen and Terry and Jake convince Rosa to go undercover with them at a fantasy fiction convention to find the culprit.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – The Angels take their show to Shanghai where models like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel, and Lily Aldridge showcase the newest line of lingerie.

Chicago Med (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Manning goes to extreme measures to help a fearful pregnant woman whose baby is severely underdeveloped and April is angered by Choi when he uses their personal relationship as leverage to convince a patient of a risky procedure.

Supergirl (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – The huge superhero crossover is finally here and everything kicks off on Supergirl with Barry and Iris’ wedding bringing the gang together. Of course, the happy nuptials get interrupted by villains from Earth-X so Green Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, and White Canary must lead their teams into battle to save the world. No pressure.

9JKL (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — After Harry gets sick, Josh accompanies Judy on a pre-planned anniversary spa getaway where everyone believes the two are a couple.

Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics (AMC, 10:00 p.m.) – Kirkman deep dives into how the 9/11 attacks changed the course of comic book writing.

Scorpion (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Cabe’s looming trial date leaves the team in chaos and Paige tries to help Walter navigate his feelings about his father figure’s possible jail stint.

A Very Pentatonix Christmas Special (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Pentatonix celebrates the holiday season with help from Jennifer Hudson and Jay Leno.

The Good Doctor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — As part of St. Bonaventure hospital’s international humanitarian program, the team takes on the case of a young boy from the Congo who has severe congenital heart anomalies and Shaun struggles with his budding romantic relationship with the girl next door.

She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix) – Spike Lee revisits his first feature-length film with a Netflix series that expands on its characters and tells their stories in an inventive new way. Nola Darling is still a sexually free woman living her life in New York and casually dating both men and women this time around, but she’s also got friends and a life outside of her romantic pursuits. Shocking, I know.

15 years ago, Scott Frank didn’t know he was going to make a feminist Western that could be binged on a streaming platform.

In fact, if you tell him you’ve guzzled his seven-episode drama Godless, which lands on Netflix Nov 22nd, in one sitting, he’s modest enough to seem flattered, if not a bit shocked. Frank, who’s dabbled in the genre before, most recently with his screenplay work on Logan, wrote Godless as an ode to his favorite classic Western films.

The story of a town in New Mexico run entirely by women after a tragic mining accident kills off their husbands, a man on the run from the outlaw gang he once belonged to and the man who served as his surrogate father, and a mother struggling to tame the wild land she’s been stuck with after the death of her husband, was meant for the big screen. But when Netflix picked it up instead, Frank realized he could give his characters (played by greats like Jeff Daniels, Michelle Dockery, Merritt Wever, and Sam Waterston) more to chew. The end result? A miniseries set in the harsh, sprawling desert filled with gun-slinging, horse chases, petticoats, and plenty of bad guys. We spoke to Frank about reviving the Western on the small screen, getting Jeff Daniels on a horse, and how likely he’d be to do another superhero franchise.

This story was originally intended for film and now people will be able to binge it on Netflix. What convinced you that it would make a better TV series at this point?

I was having trouble getting it made as a feature, just because the economics of movies. It’s not that they’re making fewer movies, they’re just making fewer kinds of movies and the Western genre, in particular, is one that just doesn’t travel well overseas. At the same time, television is doing a lot of what movies used to do. They’re doing the forgotten genres, genres that movies have abandoned, in order to [attract] the biggest possible audience.

Steven Soderbergh, who’s one of my producers, had a great experience doing The Knick, and had felt that a lot of the kinds of movies both he and I like to make were being done on television, so he nudged me in that direction. Once we started thinking about it, it came together very, very quickly. Whereas I’ve been waiting 14 years to get it made as a feature, it was a matter of weeks before we had a deal to do it as a miniseries.

How did the script change from when you wrote it nearly 15 years ago?

I like to call this version the writer’s cut. It’s still the same story, but what I was able to do, because of the format, was go deeper and tell more of the characters stories than I could in a feature. So, thematically nothing really changed, it all just expanded, it all just grew a little bit.

Talking about the Western being an abandoned genre, what interested you about bringing one to Netflix?

I’ve always been interested in the idea that characters aren’t all good or all bad. I keep talking about how they all kind of live in this gray area where the good guys aren’t all good, and the bad guys aren’t all bad, and the Wild West is much more interesting in terms of that and the fact the characters are all acted upon by the environment they’re in. It’s a huge part of the story, and to have the world they’re in be another character is fascinating to me. You know, I’ve never done a story like that. We do that now with science fiction, they call it ‘world building.’ But this is sort of world un-building.

It’s really fascinating to me to see what happens when you put these characters in nature and see how small they are, or what they’re up against. Thematically I thought that was an interesting idea, whether it’s the women in La Belle who are challenged by the circumstances they’re in and being stuck in this place, or Alice Fletcher (Dockery) who is challenged by the lack of water and the land she’s trying to tame, all of that is great for spinning yarn.

Did you have an idea of what you didn’t want this Western to be?

You know what’s interesting, there were a couple of rules I set out for myself when I started to write it. One was to embrace every single Western cliché I could think of, to try to include them in the story, from breaking horses to two guys facing each other down in a gunfight — just all the great old tropes that were in the old Western stories, and then try to do them in a way that was unexpected. I read a lot of Westerns and that was a huge help to me, just to see how people spoke.

I gained a vocabulary when I read each of these stories, and learned about the way people thought. And I also have my own researcher who’s been working with me for the past 17 years, and she’s the one who found out about the towns in New Mexico where all the men had died in an afternoon, in these mining accidents. And sometimes the towns would become these matriarchies, where the women would stick around and try and make a go of it.

I feel like you’ve unknowingly created a great drinking game here — every time you recognize a Western trope, take a drink. I’m thinking whiskey’s probably appropriate.

Yup. They’re all there.

Is calling this a feminist Western good with you then?

It is a feminist Western but I don’t know that was my intention when I started writing it. I was trying to write about characters that hadn’t been written about. I didn’t have any story at the time, and when I learned about these women I thought, “Well, that’s a fantastic place to start.” I now know where to begin, because the politics of that are going to be fascinating, and also just the circumstances of people who are not where they thought they’d be. That became a thematic idea, that people are living lives they didn’t intend to lead — that goes for the women in La Belle, that goes for Alice Fletcher out on her ranch and Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell) who was supposed to be with his brother on his way to California. Everybody is sort of stuck in this life they had not intended to lead. There were lots of things going on all at once. I used to joke with [my researcher] that she tricked me into writing a feminist Western, but you know I just wanted to write a story about the West that people hadn’t heard about, and these women were first and foremost on that list.

Did you know Jeff Daniels would be so terrifying as a bad guy?

I love it when guys who are such good people, play such bad characters. It’s fun to watch, and you know Jeff is truly a good soul, and to see him inhabit this horrible human being was a lot of fun for me. I knew it was actually going to be easy for him, the hardest thing for him was going to be being able to do this on horseback.

One-handed.

Exactly, with his hand stuffed into something behind his back. Except for the two or three times he fell off the horse, he was having a great time.

Is there another superhero movie you’d like to give the Western treatment?

You know what I’ve done a couple of them now, and both times I was dragged kicking and screaming into it, and both times, particularly with Logan I had a great time. I don’t know if I would do another superhero movie, it’s not a genre I’m drawn to. I’m surprised I’ve done it as many times as I’ve done it. There certainly are Western tropes that you can use in any genre. I would have to see if I ended up stumbling in that direction or not.

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/godless-netflix-scott-frank/feed/1scott-frank-grid-uproxx.jpgWhat’s On Tonight: Netflix Gets Its Own Western With ‘Godless’http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-godless-netflix/
http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-godless-netflix/#respondTue, 21 Nov 2017 21:30:00 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400946752

Netflix

Godless (Netflix) – Netflix is getting its own Western with this series from Scott Frank. The show follows a local outlaw gang led by a pretty terrifying Jeff Daniels as they burn, pillage, and murder their way through the desert in search of one of their own who has defected and stolen their loot. Meanwhile, a town run entirely by women after a mining accident killed off all of the men tries to bring business and life back to their community.

Lethal Weapon (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Riggs suffers from nightmares that bring up old wounds from his childhood and Murtaugh has a problem with Trish’s new work friend, who turns out to be Scottie Pippen.

NCIS (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – The team’s Thanksgiving plans are disrupted when Delilah goes into labor early and an MI6 officer, who was close friends with Sloane, is murdered.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – The CW’s superhero-verse is gearing up for its huge crossover event next week with Barry and Iris putting the final touches on their wedding planning and The Flash coming face to face with DeVoe.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — Axl heads to Chicago to visit Hutch for the weekend but discovers that his friend, who has his own apartment and a job, is now acting more like a responsible adult than the free-spirited college student he once knew.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – One contestant gets the boot.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Louis lies to Jessica about how good her new horror novel is which gets him into trouble when Kenny Rogers pays a visit to Cattleman’s Ranch and Jessica insists he present her book to Rogers’ agent.

Bull (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — As Thanksgiving approaches, Bull releases his team to enjoy the holiday with their families, only to find himself working a case solo when he agrees to help a boxer who is being tried for murder.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – With Sara out of commission, the team finds a new Anachronism that leads them to the jungles of Vietnam and a time-displaced Gorilla Godd.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – A bunch of artists pop up to perform holiday music as the season comes to a close and a winner is crowned.

Major Crimes (TNT, 9:00 p.m.) — Sharon continues to investigate the disappearance of the St. Joseph’s Three, their relationship with an overly protective priest, and the possibility that two of the teens could be killers.

The Mick (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Mickey and Jimmy bring the gang back to their hometown of Warwick to celebrate the retirement of Jimmy’s high school baseball number and Jimmy discovers it was Mickey that ruined his chances of a professional baseball career.

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – In the past, Rebecca encourages Kate to pursue her dream of a music career while in the present, Kate and Toby’s relationship takes an unexpected turn.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) – Jake and Amy’s first Thanksgiving with their future in-laws does not go well and Holt suspects his crew when his special Thanksgiving pie goes missing at the precinct.

Damnation (USA, 10:00 p.m.) — Creeley and Bessie get on the Black Legion’s radar in a bad way and Seth and Amelia try to win back the farmers when their farms face foreclosure.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — Pride second-guesses evidence suggesting homeless kids are the suspects in the murder of a petty officer.

Tosh.0 (Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m.) – In which Tosh puts 2017 out of its misery and becomes the biggest Christmas star since Jesus.

Chicago Med (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – Season three begins with the doctors trying to bring justice to the perpetrator in the shooting of Dr. Charles and Halstead and Manning working on a heart-wrenching case that forces them to examine their own feelings.

Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu) – The first three episode of Hulu’s superhero series airs and follows a group of wealthy L.A. kids who discover their parents are part of some sacrificial cult and that they have mysterious powers of their own.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — Julianne Hough returns as a guest judge when the dancers are tasked with performing two numbers in the 10th week of competition.

David Letterman: The Mark Twain Prize (PBS, 8:00 p.m.) – David Letterman is getting a comedy award tonight and some of his friends like Jimmy Kimmel, Norm Macdonald, Steve Martin, and Bill Murray are lined up to honor him.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Kevin agrees to cook a full Thanksgiving meal for his family but when he realizes he can’t even do that, he enlists the help of his neighbor Wendy.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Lucifer and Chloe investigate the mysterious, hellish world of online dating after someone who subscribed to a celebrity dating app winds up dead.

Supergirl (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Kara investigates an alien ship that crashes in the waters near National City while Hank tries to bond with his dad and Samantha turns to her mom for help with the strange changes she’s been experiencing.

Man With a Plan (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) — When Adam discovers that the pastor he hired for their wedding was a phony and he and Andi aren’t really married, he scrambles to find a way to fix it before she finds out. So basically, CBS’ lineup tonight is a white man who forces a stranger to cook for his family and another white man who lies to his wife about the legality of their marriage. Seems about right.

Superior Donuts (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — When Franco decides to host an orphans’ Thanksgiving at the donut shop, he encourages Arthur to invite his daughter, but Arthur will only agree if Franco invites his own estranged family member, his father.

The Gifted (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – The Mutant Underground faces a new threat when one of their own turns out to be a spy for the Sentinel Services.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Nora is forced to make a difficult decision and Gallo spirals after receiving bad news.

9JKL (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — Josh asks Nick to retrieve Nana Roberts from her nursing home for the family’s Thanksgiving gathering, but when Nick arrives with the wrong nana, the family is forced to deal with a stranger who antagonizes everyone.

Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics (AMC, 10:00 p.m.) – Kirkman chronicles the story of the world’s first superhero and how writers struggled for years to receive credit for creating him.

Scorpion (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Team Scorpion celebrates Thanksgiving by getting trapped on a floating island of trash that begins to sink into the ocean.

The Brave (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – The team risks one of their own to complete their mission to take down the man responsible for attacking them on the beach all the way back in episode one.

The Good Doctor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Shaun has a traumatic experience after the grocery store he’s shopping in gets robbed and Dr. Glassman worries he isn’t doing enough to help the young doctor.

The Punisher (Netflix) – Frank Castle is back to dole out more revenge on the people responsible for the murder of his family but he soon finds out that there’s more to the killings than he first believed. Is this the show we need right now? Probably not, but Jon Bernthal plays a good tough guy so you can come for that.

Longmire (Netflix) – The sixth and final season of Longmire is here and Longmire’s still reeling from his face off with friend Henry Standing Bear and with Walt ousted from his job as sheriff and Henry at death’s door, things look bleak.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Professor Pyg continues to wreak havoc on Gotham City by crashing a fundraiser at the orphanage thrown by Sofia and Penguin.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – The doctors are forced to treat patients the old-fashioned way after a hacker causes the hospital’s computers to crash.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Dean gets to live out his childhood Western fantasy as he heads to a sleepy town with Sam, Castiel, and Jack to investigate a mysterious murder.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Bernadette gets Raj to do some digging when she becomes concerned Ruchi is trying to steal her job and the boys are furious after they learn Sheldon went to work with the military behind their backs.

Arrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – When a villain starts causing a stir by stealing valuable tech around Star City, Green Arrow leads the team into battle.

Scandal (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – The first half of the series finale is here so expect some shocking twists and jaw-dropping revelations.

Van Helsing (Syfy, 9:00 p.m.) — Vanessa faces off with Dmitri as Scab tries to recruit more members to his cause.

Mom (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Bonnie helps a newly sober Natasha handle motherhood and Christy discovers she and her younger classmate, Cooper, make a good team both in and out of the classroom.

The Orville (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Alara begins to question if she’s right for her job when a fire breaks out on the ship and a crew member dies.

Life in Pieces (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — When Heather finds a map to a time capsule she buried with her brothers as kids, they all set out to find it and dig it up. Also, Jen learns she has a low car service rating so she books rides across the city to charm drivers and increase her score.

Better Things (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – It’s graduation day during the season two finale and the family is tested.

How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — Annalise is confronted with disturbing news involving one of Isaac’s patients that puts her sobriety at risk.

S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – The team searches for the leader of a drug trafficking ring that uses immigrants as mules.

Jon Bernthal’s used to playing dark, intensely driven, morally ambiguous characters. The men he’s brought to life on screen usually say more with their fists than anything else, which is why the actor’s new film Sweet Virginia stands out. Sure, Bernthal winds up bloodied, beaten, and holding a shotgun at some point in the flick, but he also gets a chance to play a washed-up rodeo rider content to let his dreams die in a sleepy Alaskan town. It’s a far cry from Frank Castle, a man who’s about to get a full season to exact his brutal, in-your-face style of revenge on Netflix’s The Punisher.

We chatted with Bernthal about the two very different characters, how Russian theater helped prepare him play a vigilante, and how things would be different if he was still on The Walking Dead.

You’ve got Sweet Virginia and The Punisher coming out on the same day this month. Some fans are petitioning for Nov. 17th just to be declared Jon Bernthal day. How do you feel about that?

Oh, cool. I’m super humbled and it’s a crazy time. I’m really excited for Punisher. I’m really grateful that they’re giving me this opportunity to keep playing this part. It’s a part that I really care about, it’s really in my blood and my bones, and Sweet Virginia I couldn’t be more excited about. I feel like it’s a real celebration of filmmaking. I think [director] Jamie Dagg is absolutely a force to be reckoned with. I think that movies these days… It’s rare to get to go to a film really just to see great performances and great filmmaking. I think when you see what Christopher Abbott does with this movie, I think it’s gonna blow people away. It’s like Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men.

You’re playing a different kind of guy here. The original role for your character was actually supposed to be this 65-year-old man, which you are not obviously.

Recently I think they were talking about maybe Forest Whitaker playing the part, and me and Forest don’t normally go up for the same part. [Laughs.] Honestly, it was a script for a guy in his 50s or 60s, and he needed to be broken down. When they first talked to me about it, I said, “Look guys, I’m just not the right guy for this part.” I was training for Punisher, I was pretty big and strong when we were making the movie. How do you portray this guy as broken down. How do you introduce that energy? We were inventive, and Jaime really took real freedoms with the script. There was a fist fight in the movie. In the script, [my character] wins. We thought, “Well, what would it be like if he gets beaten up?” I was really grateful. I think it says a lot about Jamie and the kind of artist that he is, that he was that willing to change on the fly and be open to new ideas.

The Punisher is landing soon on Netflix. Be honest, has the pressure eased off any this time around?

The pressure definitely hasn’t eased off. I’m humble and grateful that the response to Daredevil season two was what it was. When we went into making Daredevil, I’d never done that before. I’ve never been part of show that was already successful. I was blown away with the elegance of the way that they told that story, the patience that they had. When I saw what Vincent D’Onofrio did I said, “This is something that I really want to be a part of.” He created this character that was terrifying, and yet you felt for him.

I’m never the kind of guy [to say], “Well I got this, I figured this guy out.” I feel a ton of pressure. I want to get this right. This character means a lot to a lot of people, the comic book fans, members in the military, and members of law enforcement. I don’t think you ever really get there. I think that if I wasn’t terrified, something would be monumentally wrong.

One thing I’m so excited about is that Marvel keeps giving Deborah Ann Woll more to do in these shows, because she’s incredible. How does she fit into this season with Frank Castle’s story?

It’s one of my favorite relationships, and I can’t say enough good about Deb. She blows me away. She’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. She’s kind, she’s so unbelievably talented and intelligent. That is the anchor for Frank. I feel like what I love most about that relationship is it’s completely unlabeled, there’s no way to define it, it’s between the two of us. That’s one of the most honest things I think you can achieve on a film, when there’s no labels on a relationship, you don’t really know what it is, and you just know these people are drawn to each other, they’re connected to each other, they frustrate each other, and they make each other insane. And I think that’s really what this thing is, and no matter what they put down there, me and Deb refuse to label that relationship, and anything is possible.

I’ve always thought Frank sees in Karen what he would hope and think that his daughter would have grown up to be like. Intelligent and brave and courageous and bold. But then, it could be anything, and I think it’s just these people that are drawn to each other.

So the Kastle shippers will be happy then?

I hope they’re gonna be happy. There’s a bit at the end of the series where the two of them are just alone in an elevator together and they’re looking at each other and we didn’t know what it was gonna be, we didn’t know what was gonna happen, we didn’t know what it was gonna mean, but it definitely means something. I never want to spoon to the audience what they should think or they should feel. We have a really intelligent audience, and I dig that. I dig not filling in all the blanks.

I think if people liked the relationship last year, it’s only gonna intensify this year. When you take a character like Frank Castle, who has built a wall around his heart, and almost tactically does not want to let anybody in, it’s always interesting when you see him start to care about someone.

You studied acting in Russia. What skills do you take from Russian theater?

I think that what I learned over there is what made me an artist, I think that’s what made me a man, and I’ll always be grateful and indebted to the people in the Moscow Arts Theater. They take things very seriously over there. During communist times, and that’s the time my teachers were growing up, the artists were making art that was deemed not state-sanctioned, or was interpreted as having anti-state meaning. Actors were assassinated, they were killed, they were sent to prison for their entire lives. My teachers did illegal plays, they did plays in secret where they performed in tunnels and under bridges. The audience would sneak to watch these plays. If any of them had been caught, the audience or on stage, they would have been sent to prison. But that’s how important it was to them.

For me, this thing’s always been vital, it’s always been better give it your all, and I think that comes from Russia. With Frank Castle, honestly, I could go on and on about that answer. [It’s] such a physical role. In Russia, part of the training is acrobatics, it’s ballet, it’s rhythm, it’s incorporating your entire body, the movement courses. I’ve played college sports, I’ve played football, I’ve played baseball, I boxed; nothing was as rigorous as my theater training in Russia, and I’ll always be grateful to them.

So ballet prepared The Punisher a little bit then?

I’m fine with that statement.

If Shane Walsh were still on The Walking Dead, would we have the Negan problem we have now?

The people who make Walking Dead are some of the people I care about most in this world. I love those guys, but I think Shane would have no time for any of that nonsense. I don’t think the Governor or Negan or any of these people that oppose and threaten his family, to his little girl, I don’t think that they would last long. I really don’t.

Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Elliot has a showdown with Mr. Robot and Dom begins to grow tired of all of the red tape.

The Blacklist (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – In the fall finale, Liz retraces Tom’s steps after he goes missing and Red’s hunt for the suitcase of bones puts him on a collision course with Tom that will change everyone’s lives forever.

Empire (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) — The Lyon family stands together as Anika and Hakeem begin a custody battle for Bella but no one is prepared for the truths Anika exposes in the courtroom.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) — Betty turns to Veronica for help with her stalker while Jughead and Archie work together to stop a dangerous alliance between the Serpents and a long-time rival.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — During the holiday, Uncle Marvin reveals he has become a stockbroker and convinces Barry and the JTP to invest their money with him. Murray intervenes, which has repercussions for Barry.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Maya’s mother comes to town for Thanksgiving and the family goes all out to impress the grandma they haven’t seen in several years.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Realizing she has no one left, Fallon zeros in on the one thing she thinks she wants most.

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Jay uses his Thanksgiving toast to celebrate his family’s accomplishments which makes Phil feel like a failure since he can’t complete even the simplest of magic tricks.

SEAL Team (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — Jason and the team must rescue an undercover CIA operative after she is captured by radical terrorists to be used as a bargaining chip.

Star (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Ayanna must quickly restore Midtown’s image and the girls try to convince hot recording artist Joyce Sheree to sing a featured verse on one of their songs so they can snag a spot in the showcase.

The Shannara Chronicles (Spike, 9:00/10:00 p.m.) — Bandon and his followers race to resurrect the Warlock Lord while Mareth must risk everything. Later, Wil confronts his past and the bond between Allanon and Mareth continues to grow.

The Voice (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Tonight, Adam Levine reveals his Comeback Artist, and his team is cut in half as he selects three of his six remaining artists to complete his roster.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Greg hopes to impress his family this Thanksgiving but the unexpected arrival of Katie’s mom ruins any chance of that.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Halstead convinces Voight to send him undercover to try and get information from a former Army Ranger who might be responsible for several gang-related child abductions.

Criminal Minds (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — The BAU searches for an unsub in Austin, Texas, who is targeting prominent members of the community.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — When a Turkish activist ignites protests in the U.S., Turkey’s president demands his extradition while the first family unknowingly finds themselves in the center of a battle that could threaten Leo’s future.

American Horror Story: Cult (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – The ultimate showdown between Kai and Ally takes place tonight as this season of American Horror Story ends. With plenty of people already dead (RIP Winter) expect at least one of the final two to kick the bucket before the episode’s done.

Lethal Weapon (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Murtaugh tries to bust one of his kids after finding a joint stashed in his kitchen and Riggs suspects some of his childhood friends might be involved in a robbery-homicide case.

NCIS (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) — McGee and Delilah argue over whether they should wait to find out the baby’s sex and the team investigates the death of an NCIS person of interest in a bribery and fraud case.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Harry and Cisco build the ultimate think tank in order to crack the identity of the Thinker while Barry turns to a surprising ally for help when collectors of Native American artifacts are attacked by a meta who can bring inanimate objects to life.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — Axl, Sue, and Brick learn that one of them must quit their job at Spudsy’s while on a Thanksgiving road trip to Frankie’s sister’s house.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) — Miley Cyrus reveals her Comeback Artist, and selects three of her six remaining artists to complete her roster and move on to the final phase of the competition.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) — Evan lets Eddie and Emery sneak him into his first R-rated movie as Louis uses the Thanksgiving holiday to set Grandma up with her ESL teacher.

Blackish (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) — Bow keeps in touch with Dre’s incarcerated godbrother, Omar, but when they find out he is being released from prison, Omar’s future sparks debate.

Bull (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Bull helps the parents of a former employee sue a pharmaceutical company after their son commits suicide during a drug trial.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The Legends are blindsided by the appearance of a former enemy while on a mission to return a time-displaced Helen of Troy back to the Bronze Age.

Major Crimes (TNT, 9:00 p.m.) – Sharon’s personal life begins to threaten her career as the hunt for the remaining St. Joseph’s Three intensifies.

The Mick (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – The family attends great grandmother Rita Pemberton’s 100th birthday celebration at her huge mansion but Mickey’s plans to convince the senile old woman that’s they’re long-lost friends backfires when grandma believes they share a romantic connection.

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – In the past, Jack and Rebecca dream of their kids’ futures while in the present, Kevin returns to his old high school to accept an award.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) — Boyle and Rosa must track down “Sergeant Peanut Butter,” the kidnapped NYPD horse that Charles envies while Jake and Amy contend with the reappearance of Vulture.

The Mayor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) — As the mayor’s office plans a tour for the California governor’s official visit to Fort Grey, an old rap video of Courtney resurfaces that puts potential funding for their city in jeopardy.

Damnation (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Seth and the farmers are busy trying to ward off a new vigilante group while Creeley takes some time to investigate his brother’s past.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — Yvette has her reservations when Dave, another celestial being, pops up looking to join her and Kevin on their latest mission.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — Wade’s son, Danny, calls Pride for help after he’s attacked at his girlfriend’s house and she is now missing.

Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — In the finale, after the first trial ends with a hung jury and the district attorney refuses to offer the defense a deal, a second trial gets underway with Barry Levin joining the defense team.

Future Man (Hulu) – Josh Hutcherson is here as a janitor who leads a pretty boring life, cleaning up sh*t and playing video games in his time off until he’s recruited by a secret agency to travel back through time to prevent the extinction of humanity (because of his awesome gamer skills and chiseled jaw line I guess?).

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – The semifinals are here and each of the couples must perform two dances, one to a song chosen by the pair and one to an iconic dance performed in a past season.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – When Rootger slips and injures himself at work, Kevin and Vanessa devise a plan to protect the business in case he sues.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – A reporter is out for revenge after he discovers Lucifer has been banging his estranged wife – who just happens to be Linda. So of course, things get messy.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) — Jennifer and Blake reveal their Comeback Artists, and their teams will be cut in half, as they will each select three of their six remaining artists to complete their roster and move on to the final phase of the competition.

Superior Donuts (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Franco gets jealous when the kid he signed up to mentor ends up bonding with Arthur.

The Gifted (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Reed and Sage uncover some alarming information about Lauren’s new friend while a call from Eclipse’s ex-lover forces him to revisit his dark past in order to protect the group.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — While Nora prepares to prove herself to Gallo, she also considers confessing the truth to Ian.

Lady Dynamite (Netflix) – Lady Dynamite returns for season two and though it seemed like actress/comedian Maria Bamford had gotten her happy ending, this season she finds out living with a significant other while managing her mental illness and starring on a streaming series is tough work.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Gordon and Bullock are at odds after Gordon is offered the position of GCPD captain and Penguin is out for revenge on Nygma.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – A roller coaster at a county fair derails and while treating some of the victims, the doctors are faced with ghosts from their pasts.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Penny and Bernadette give Koothrappali some relationship advice and Sheldon partners with Bert on a research project.

Young Sheldon (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) – Sheldon has a crisis of faith when his father is rushed to the emergency room and the kids have to figure out their own way to the hospital.

Arrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Vigilante makes a return to Star City as the team try to rescue Joe after he’s taken hostage by a band of mercenaries.

Scandal (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Quinn and Charlie celebrate their big day while Cyrus, Mellie, and Jake deal with a new crisis in the Middle East.

Van Helsing (Syfy, 9:00 p.m.) – Dimitri makes a bid for power and a secret that Doc has been protecting finally comes to light.

Mom (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Bonnie is suspicious when her brother Ray returns from rehab and starts bonding with Adam but she’s got bigger things to worry about when she’s stopped by the cops after taking a joyride in Ray’s car.

The Orville (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – The crew is asked to mediate a peace treaty between two warring cultures but a familiar face from Kelly and Ed’s past threatens to derail the talks. Please God, let it be blue alien Rob Lowe.

Life in Pieces (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — When Jen invites her boss, Paul, and his wife over to dinner to impress him, she and Greg can’t remember his wife’s name and scramble to avoid embarrassment.

How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — Laurel and Michaela hit a roadblock after someone discovers their plans to take down Laurel’s father.

S.W.A.T. (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Hondo’s control of the team is put in jeopardy when Street defies orders while hunting down four escaped convicts.

LATE NIGHT GUESTS

Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Josh Hutcherson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dan Auerbach

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: William H. Macy, Jay Pharoah, Rationale

Adrianne Palicki first drew attention as one of the stars of Friday Night Lights, a beloved but low-rated football drama. Since then, she’s worked steadily, most recently as one of the stars of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Currently, Palicki’s starring in friend Seth McFarlane’s passion project, The Orville, a Fox series that serves as a tribute to MacFarlane’s favorite sci-fi show.But The Orville isn’t just a Star Trek send-up. Over the course of half a season, MacFarlane and the cast have been able to give us some surprisingly nuanced storytelling that lives right alongside the kind of slapstick, sh*t-taking comedy you’d expect. We chatted with Palicki about doing comedy with a seasoned pro like MacFarlane, sex scenes with Rob Lowe, and that one storyline from Friday Night Lights we still can’t get over.

Thank you for making a sci-fi show set in space that doesn’t involve any armageddon nonsense.

Right? Isn’t it nice to have a good optimistic feeling when you’re [watching this].

Especially since I’m worrying about the world ending in real life all the time right now, so I don’t want to see that on TV.

It’s coming, it feels like it’s coming.

You’ve been friends with Seth MacFarlane for a long time. What was his pitch to you for this show? Secretly I’m hoping it was just that first scene when we meet Kelly and she’s getting it on with a blue alien played by Rob Lowe.

Yeah, that’s actually what sold me on the whole thing. I’m not kidding. First of all, I was rolling, but also I’m like, “How does she come back from this?” And to play that character and to take on that challenge, was why I wanted to do this.

The show has really evolved from the pilot.

I read a few of the scripts before we started shooting the pilot, and the pilot is like every show. It’s a way to introduce people and characters and the idea, but it’s not going to be what the show is usually. I think now that we have the time and space and people really, really love these characters, thank God, [Seth’s] able to delve into every specific character.

Were there any nerves in taking on a comedy and knowing you were going act opposite someone like Seth, who’s really experienced in this realm?

The nice thing about Seth, and the fact that he is such a good friend, it was like I’m going into this with a partner. That trust was already there, and I know he felt the same way with me with the dramatic aspect of things, which was new to him. So it was like we went in with this very clear partnership, and I think that’s what is on screen, that’s what you can see. It was a very trusting environment.

What’s the response been from the sci-fi fans, because they can be a very intense, very passionate group of people, especially when it comes to shows that borrow from Star Trek?

It is the most important thing, but there’s also this level of trust where Seth’s concerned, because this was his baby. His dream was to make a show like this since he was five. The support that we’ve been getting is massive, and lovely, and beautiful, because having been in the genre world for a very long time, it’s so important to have those fans. It’s so important because nothing will work without them.

Talking about the trust with you and Seth, there’s a lot of great back and forth between your character, Kelly Grayson, and his character, Captain Ed Mercer. Where will their relationship go in the second half of the season?

Here’s the thing, it’s the Ross and Rachel …

Just in space.

It’s the Lois and Clark, it’s the thing that will go on for as long as it can, the will-they-won’t-they. And they’ll have maybe moments where they get together, they might have moments when they don’t. It’s that really interesting line that I know Seth is trying to balance in the writing, because you can’t go too far too soon.

There are some really great undercurrents in this show. I’m thinking specifically of episode three, when you guys took on a big issue with gender. Are there any more of those kinds of episodes happening in the future?

The last one with J. Lee where you press up or down if you like or don’t like somebody, it’s very much an ode to social media and how we judge each other, and what’s happening in the world right now. These episodes have a lot of relevance with what’s happening with the world as we speak. I think that it’s brilliant because the way Seth does it. It’s not wagging the finger, it’s going, “Think about this.”

Be honest, who breaks the most on set?

I probably break the most, I’m not gonna lie. Between me and Seth, I would say it’s one of the two.

Is there a trick for keeping it together? Maybe think of Donald Trump as president or something?

Literally. If I start laughing Seth will be like, ‘Trump! Think of Trump!’ All right, now I’m angry.

We’ve avoided it for as long as we can, but now’s the time. What was up with that season two murder plot in Friday Night Lights?

You mean the storyline that we forgot at one point?

That’s the one.

I think at that point, we didn’t have the highest ratings. I think that there was a bit of pressure at that point to make it a little bit more of the mainstream, which that show was not. Then it was like, “This didn’t work, let’s go back to doing exactly what we were doing, because it was working. Let’s just forget this ever happened, and let’s continue.”

But then think about it, it did bring together Landry and Tyra, that’s a big deal.

Did a guy have to die? No.

Network TV man.

That poor guy died three times. The first season, he was originally supposed to die once he tried to rape me the first time. Then he came back again, and then they’re like, “We don’t like the way he died, we’re gonna bring him back again and kill him with a different weapon.” I was like, “Poor Mike the Rapist.”

If we could get a spinoff or maybe a reunion, where would Tyra be?

Let’s say it is Tyra and Riggins. She moves back, she marries Riggs, has a couple kids, now she’s counseling the high school and he’s the coach. Except it’s a different dynamic because they still have that banter. It’s not that loving Taylor relationship. I think that would be great, then you could bring back other characters.

Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Darlene offers her own brand of help and things at E Corp spiral into chaos.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Betty’s faced with an ultimatum that could destroy her relationship with Jughead as he tries to keep the piece after Alice publishes a fiery article in the town’s paper. Meanwhile, Veronica welcomes an old friend to town but his plans to throw a wild party have serious consequences.

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-mr-robot-usa-3/feed/1robotep5.JPGWhat’s On Tonight: ‘Damnation’ Gives Us A New Western To Watchhttp://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-damnation-usa/
http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-damnation-usa/#respondTue, 07 Nov 2017 21:30:00 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400916546

USA

Damnation (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – USA’s taking advantage of the Western revival on TV with this drama about two men manipulating residents of a small farming town for their own gain. One poses as a preacher hoping to galvanize the community to stand up for their rights, the other is a strikebreaker, hired to intimidate citizens into complying with his employer’s demands.

Lethal Weapon (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) — Murtaugh and Riggs investigate a death that occurs moments before the victim’s bet wins a horse race and the case forces both men to examine their priorities.

NCIS (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Gibbs orders Ducky to investigate a convicted felon’s claims that the NCIS set him up for murder a decade ago. Agent Fornell, who lead the original joint FBI and NCIS case ,joins the investigation.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Caitlin’s past as Killer Frost comes back to haunt her when she receives an anonymous threat and Felicity Smoak comes to Central City to help the girls celebrate Iris’ bachelorette party.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Frankie takes care of Pat when she comes down with something while visiting the Hecks and Axl and Brick spy on Mike at the quarry.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – A special adviser arrives to coach the judges’ strongest competitors as the knockout rounds continue.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Louis and Jessica battle over who’s the better manager when they decide to coach competing softball teams.

Blackish (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Diane experiences a life-changing event on her “road to womanhood” and Dre resorts to psychological warfare in order to beat Junior in a game of basketball.

Bull (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — Bull helps a teachers union represent a woman who is being prosecuted for helping an impoverished student pass an important test, but who may be the scapegoat for a larger cheating scandal.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The Legends run into Rip when they travel back to London in 1897 to hunt a time-travelling vampire but not everyone’s excited to see the guy again.

Major Crimes (TNT, 9:00 p.m.) — While the search for the missing boys continues, the squad faces off with an untrustworthy priest, an angry ex-husband, and threats from the FBI.

The Mick (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Mickey tries to convince Ben he doesn’t need medication to help him focus by completely taking over his science fair project.

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – With Rebecca and Jack still finalizing their adoption, Randall tries to adjust to the foster system. In the present, Kate and Toby take a step forward in their relationship.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) — Hitchcock and Scully challenge Rosa to a “Butt-lympics,” whatever the hell that is, while Holt battles the resurgence of his gambling addiction when he’s tasked with teaching Jake and Terry the art of poker for their undercover mission infiltrating a gambling ring.

The Mayor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) — Courtney dates an old flame with ulterior motives, alerting him to new hidden agendas he faces in his personal life.

American Horror Story: Cult (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – Kai goes full Charles Manson tonight as he continues his quest to rule the town and raise his Messiah baby. Meanwhile, Ally goes through with her plan to escape with Oz after killing her wife and it looks like she’s getting some help from Winter.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — A desperate man needs work in order to support his family, so Kevin tries to help him.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — A clinical trial of brain implants in veterans is hacked, and Patton must work alongside his ex-wife who spearheads the project.

Tosh.0 (Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m.) – In which Tosh looks at college football and tries to crowdfund his way into sainthood.

Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — With Lyle and Erik’s juries both struggling to reach a unanimous decision, the possibility of a mistrial leaves Leslie hopeful for the opportunity to work out a deal with the District Attorney’s office.

In the world of late night, the hosts hog most of the spotlight. It’s the hosts behind the desk that get the credit when a show does well in the ratings or produces a viral video, but a captain is only as good as his or her crew and Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O’Brien wouldn’t be where they are without the help of some funny men and women who played supporting roles on their talk shows. We’re talking about the writers and actors who put it all on the line to give us zany, outrageous, memorable sketches and bit characters that have stood the test of time and added comedic clout to the heroes of late night and their respective shows throughout the history of the genre.

Here’s an ode to some of the comedic geniuses who got their start after midnight and what they’ve done in their careers since their big breaks.

NBC/Youtube

Brian Stack – Conan

Brian Stack got his start in comedy at Chicago’s Second City and used skills honed there to carve out a specialty in oddball characters who earned laughs by poking fun at themselves while also carrying some pretty tragic backstories. “The Travelling Salesman” is probably the most popular example. Sporting an old-timey accent and trying to sell Conan everything from shoe trees to root beer and, of course, some bad jokes, Stack’s salesman also dropped deadpan remarks about the death of his father at the hands of a hooker and his 400-pound illiterate wife’s proclivity for sleeping with prison inmates. Stack also ushered in other bit characters like The Slipnutz, The Interrupter, and Artie Kendall the Ghost Crooner — a dead singer who offended Conan with his sexist, bigoted lyrics.

Stack’s now writing over at The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and he’s still churning out some great characters like Cartoon Trump – an animated rendition of the POTUS. The bit has been so successful that Showtime ordered a 10-episode series starring Cartoon Trump to be produced by Colbert.

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Geoff Peterson (Josh Robert Thompson) – The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Most late night talk show hosts like to have a sidekick; a warm body they can riff off. Unless you happen to be Craig Ferguson. The former host of The Late Late Show was able to indulge his Terminator fantasies and have a skeletal robot named Geoff Peterson stand beside him during his tenure on CBS thanks to a deal he made with Mythbusters star Grant Imahara, who designed Peterson to be the kind of openly gay robot sidekick any host would be lucky to have. As for who really put the spark of life into Geoff, that would be comedian Josh Robert Thompson.

Armed with a metal mohawk, Mardi Gras beads, a Price Is a Right name tag, and an oversized suit, Geoff was usually amicable and mild-mannered unless Kristen Bell came on the show (or Ferguson made fun of his mobility problems). He may have died because of a skydiving accident, from choking on a bird’s foot, or from a methamphetamine overdose. He may have also gone home with Ferguson when the show ended.

A stand-up comedian and voice actor who has appeared on numerous episodes of Family Guy and Robot Chicken, Thompson has continued with his career, also voicing the role of Skull on Skylander’s Academy. He’s also gone on the road to partner with Ferguson while on tour.

CBS/Youtube

Chris Elliott – The Late Show with David Letterman

Chris Elliott’s version of late night wasn’t vain or flattering, it was ugly, idiotic, and a bit crude which is why the guy was labeled a genius by people that worked with him during his time on The Late Show with David Letterman. Elliott played sketch characters like the deranged Marlon Brando who liked to crack wise and do something called “The Banana Dance.” He played conspiracy theorists that yelled threats to the show’s host from backstage. He even played a guy who lived under the seats in the studio, promising to make Letterman’s life a living hell.

After Elliott left Letterman he launched the low-rated but beloved sitcom Get A Life, starred in Cabin Boy, appeared in guest spots on shows like How I Met Your Mother, and starred in Schitt’s Creek. He can presently be seen beside Will Forte on Last Man on Earth.

NBC

A.D. Miles – The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Miles helped Fallon take the throne Jay Leno left behind and transformed his seat behind the desk into viral video-making machine, continuing the work they started during Fallon’s run on NBC’s 12:30 show, Late Night.

Fallon specializes in sketch bits that have a Saturday Night Live feel and Miles, as head writer of the show, often played along. His most memorable role is Gary, the totally uncool stepdad to Fallon’s prepubescent teenage gossip queen Sara who overuses the word “Ew!” As Gary showed, Miles was good at playing the straight guy to Fallon’s eccentric personalities.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Miles was leaving The Tonight Showand pursuing a career in TV writing and acting. His first stop was as head writer on the revived Gong Show, but Miles has a lot of experience in front of the camera, often working beside David Wain and Michael Showalter in Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, and The Ten.

Miles’ relationship with Fallon continues, however, as the two are working on an animated feature film.

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The Dancing Itos – The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

During the height of the O.J. Simpson trial, Leno and his writers crafted a sketch that involved a dance troupe of Judge Ito look-alikes doing a dance number.

Nito Larioza, Tym Buacharern, Danny Lee, Hoang Ho, and Michael Gregory served as the dancers in the troupe and they continued along in in their careers after Ito banged the gavel for the final time. Larioza went on to do stunt work in films like Avatar and Inception; Buacharern is a makeup artist whose work can be found on Ryan Murphy’s Feud and films like Dreamgirls; and Gregory is an actor whose credits include HBO’s Oz.

NBC/Youtube

The Upright Citizens Brigade Gang – Late Night With ConanO’Brien

Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, and Matt Besser all hailed from the Upright Citizens Brigade, then a New York-based comedy troupe. They found work on Late Night with off-the-wall sketches and bizarre bit characters like Poehler’s Stacy, Andy Richter’s Conan-obsessed sister.

The Upright Citizens Brigade went on to star in sketch show of the same name on Comedy Central for three seasons and Poehler, obviously, went on to do big and funny things on Parks and Rec and in film. Meanwhile, Besser has guest starred on Modern Family, Fresh Off the Boat, and Community, Roberts has made frequent guest appearances and currently works on Teachers, and Walsh is currently serving as the White House Press Secretary to Selina Meyers on Veep. The four also went on to be major players in the comedy scene by fostering the next generation of improv comedians with the UCB theater in New York and LA and programs that count Aziz Ansari, Donald Glover, Chris Gethard, Kate McKinnon, and Elle Kemper as alums.

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Ross The Intern – The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

One of the best things Jay Leno ever did during his tenure on NBC was to introduce audiences to Ross Matthews a.k.a. Ross the Intern. Ross sported high-pitched voice, a love of celebrities, and the ability to call Scarlett Johansson a bitch and make it seem like a compliment. The guy was all of us attending fancy awards shows and getting starstruck by the likes of Oprah Winfrey. He was a pure, precious cinnamon roll that didn’t belong in the tough, cruel world of late night which is why Miller graduated to hosting E!’s red carpet coverage and Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

Adult Swim

Jon Glaser — Late Night with Conan O’Brien

Jon Glaser put on a master class in how to be, well, a d*ck on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, playing a gum-chewing prick dressed like Ronald McDonald, a man who could ruin any moment just by uttering the word “pubes,” and a fisherman who ended his segments by throwing a box of fish sticks at his indulgent host. But Glaser could also bring to life wacky characters in sketches that, on paper, seemed too strange to garner laughs. The Wrist Hulk was a guy who had incredible Hulk-like powers, but only in his wrist. Dave “Tiny hands” Gordon was a man who struggled through everyday tasks because of his abnormally small hands. Kim The Witness Protection Comedian was talented in celebrity impressions but had to wear a mask and use a voice modulator to protect his identity, so all of his impersonations sounded the same. These characters could’ve flopped, but somehow, Glaser made them work during his time on Late Night.

Glaser took some of his eccentric characters with him to Adult Swim where he’s had two series find success — Stroker And Hoop and Delocated. He also lent his voice to a bunch of animated shows including Archer. And of course, his recurring roles on Girls (as a recovering addict) and Parks and Rec (as Leslie Knope’s pervy fellow councilman) stand out on his list of accomplishments. Most recently, Glaser hosted Jon Glaser Loves Gear for TruTV.

Ride With Norman Reedus (AMC, 9:00 p.m.) – Norman takes Dave Chappelle on a ride through Lowcountry as they trek from South Carolina to Georgia.

Scorpion (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – A new neighbor proves to be a bit of a smelly problem at the garage while Walter gets a lesson in listening when the team tracks a device that can prevent a nuclear meltdown through the Los Angeles sewers.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Another elimination takes place as the couples perform some trio dancers with past contestants and winners of the show.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Kevin and Vanessa find themselves locked in a toy store after hours when their business pitch to serve as the store’s new security firm gets sidetracked.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Lucifer races to Vegas with Ella in tow after finding out his ex-fake-wife Candy has gone missing and Chloe is left pissed when she finds out he’s taken off on her birthday.

Supergirl (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Alex and Maggie make a life-changing decision about their relationship as Lena fields some heat after the lead bomb she made to save National City from the Daxamites ends up poisoning some school children.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – The knockout rounds continue but this time, the artists will each select their own song to perform individually, while their competitor watches and waits.

Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge (HBO, 9:00 p.m.) – The first of this two-part series explores 50 years of the iconic magazines through interviews and behind-the-scenes stories.

It’s easy to see why Netflix was so eager to land Alias Grace, the year’s second Margaret Atwood adaptation to hit a streaming service. Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood’s story about a future patriarchal dystopia, hit at an eerily perfect time earlier this year, following a presidential election that put a man who boasted about sexually harassing women into office and gave his conservative cronies power to regulate women’s healthcare and strip the rights of minorities.

If The Handmaid’s Tale envisioned a world in which women were enslaved by men, Alias Grace gives us a history lesson that proves things have been that way all along.

The fictional period drama follows the true story of a young housemaid and immigrant named Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon) who survives traumatic experiences in her youth only to find herself on trial for the murder of her employer and his housekeeper. Whether she’s guilty or not isn’t the point of the story, though the whodunit (and the whytheydunit) of the crime proves to be an intriguing enough mystery to keep you hooked for six episodes. Instead, we’re presented with an interesting look at the duality of women through the lens of one whose life has always been in the service of men who would happily abuse their power and exercise their control over her for their own amusement and gain.

Is Grace a cold-blooded killer? Maybe, but if we’re to find out the truth of anything, it won’t be from the mouths of men, like her lawyers who forced a plea upon her, or the journalists who label her as a celebrated murderess in the papers. It’ll be from her own re-telling, a yarn she spins for the benefit of young Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft), who comes to psychoanalyze Grace while she’s serving out her penance in prison.

Grace loses her mother at a young age, is forced by her drunken, lecherous father to earn a living for her family, and is educated about the cruelty of the world through her various employers. Her first station serving a rich family in Toronto introduces her to Mary (Rebecca Liddiard), a young woman who becomes Grace’s confidant and friend, who teaches her about politics and rebellions and the use of red petticoats. Mary’s confident and defiant, a direct contrast to Grace’s meekness and naiveté.

It’s through Mary that Grace discovers how truly powerless a woman is, how her situation, her reputation, her very life depends on men who have no idea how to take care of themselves but believe their position and wealth afford them the right to order others to.

Gadon weaves a tale of misery and hopelessness through haunted looks and cleverly disguised intentions. We sympathize with Grace one minute – when she’s roughed up by guards in the prison, locked in coffins, verbally abused by a mercurial housekeeper named Nancy (Anna Paquin), and subjected to degrading sexual advances – and we suspect her the next, as she muses about the tragedy of a dead body staining fine carpet and a turnip on a table sparks flashbacks of a broken woman being thrown down cellar stairs.

By now we know Atwood prefers to envelop her characters in ambiguity, so while it’s fun to watch Grace toy with the interests of men who are fascinated and repelled by her story, she’s also toying with us in a way as well. Her truth is what she makes it, which is refreshing in the sense that it gives a female character authority over her own narrative for once and paints her in an honest, if not flawed light.

Grace, like many women, lives in a world where she’s told what she is – evil, a slut, a whore, a murderess. They pen her story and she lives the consequences of it. It’s only when she begins to discover a voice that has been silenced most of her life that she finds true power.

The Good Place (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) – Janet causes problems for Michael as Eleanor lets Chidi in on a secret. Jason puts Tahani in a tough spot.

S.W.A.T.(CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – The series premiere of this cop drama starring Shemar Moore follows a S.W.A.T. leader torn between loyalty to his team and to the streets when he’s tasked with creating a unit that will serve as the last stop in law enforcement in L.A.

Alias Grace (Netflix) – Netflix is trying their hand at a Margaret Atwood adaptation, this time based on a true story about a housemaid and immigrant who might have been wrongly imprisoned for the murder of her employer in 1843.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Gordon and Bullock head to the Narrows to stop Professor Pyg’s reign of terror and Bruce meets up with an old friend who invites him out for a little fun.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — Arizona, April, and Maggie treat a woman who’s hiding a deadly secret while the boys take the day off to go sailing.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) — Sam, Dean, and Jack investigate the mysterious deaths of patients of a grief counselor and each are forced to deal with their own emotional issues.

Superstore (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – When Mateo resorts to using some strange home remedies to cure his ear infection, Amy and Jonah look into alternatives to Cloud 9’s terrible health care plan.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – With Bernadette and Wolowitz both laid up sick, Penny steps in to care for Halley. Meanwhile, Sheldon goes head-to-head with Wil Wheaton for the role of the new Professor Proton.

Young Sheldon (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) – Sheldon uses some advice from a self-help book to make a new friend and appease his mother.

Arrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — Just as Oliver starts to get things in order, Black Siren launches another attack on the citizens of Star City.

Scandal (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Olivia and Mellie band together to assert their power and Cyrus petitions Congress to declare war in Bashran.

Van Helsing (Syfy, 9:00 p.m.) – Things get bloody when Vanessa faces off against Sam and Flesh, Mohamad, and Lucky take desperate steps to save their lives.

Will & Grace (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Will, Grace, and Jack try to help Karen move past personal tragedy as the two men struggle to get their business off the ground.

Mom (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Season five premieres with Christy risking it all to help a fellow alcoholic and Bonnie dealing with a case of cold feet when it comes to her relationship with Adam.

The Orville (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Ed and the crew set out to save Dr. Finn, her two sons, and Isaac after their shuttle gets thrown into uncharted space and they crash-land on a moon that is light years from the Orville.

Life in Pieces (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) – Season three begins with the entire Hughes family moving into John and Joan’s home after their kitchen is destroyed and their presence creates chaos.

Great News (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) — Jeremy invites Katie to do some “real reporting” and go on a stakeout with him but Carol gets suspicious about Jeremy’s motives and recruits Greg on a stakeout of her own.

Chicago Fire (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — After heroically saving a mother and newborn baby from a rooftop fire, Kidd receives surprising news: she’s being transferred. Severide and Casey believe something is off about the turn of events, prompting them to investigate.

How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Annalise receives some unexpected help with her class-action lawsuit from a former colleague and details about Isaac’s past are revealed.

Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Tyrell attempts to sever ties with Elliot. Meanwhile, Darlene hopes to convince her brother that their “mission” is over in order to protect him and Angela goes rogue.

You’re The Worst (FXX, 10:30 p.m.) – Edgar makes a big purchase he can’t afford and it’s all Max’s fault. Meanwhile, Jimmy hopes to fit in with the friends of a woman from his past and Gretchen goes all out to impress Boone’s ex-wife.

Empire (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Cookie tries to do damage control when the truth about Lucious’ memory problem is revealed by convincing the board that he’s fine and inviting the press to cover him producing the first 20 for 20 album.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Betty starts keeping secrets from Jughead and Veronica worries about Archie’s desire for revenge as a showdown between the North and Southside draws closer.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Lack of food takes a toll on players and one castaway feels left out of the loop.

The Blacklist (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Tom defies orders and continues his investigation into the suitcase while the Task Force hunts a once-dormant murder-for-hire ring.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Beverly tries to help Barry in the love department and Adam offers to make a commercial to boost business for Murray’s store but things don’t go as planned.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) — Dylan teams with Lafayette alumni to rebel against the school’s no-prank initiative and JJ feels pressured to date a girl at school who also has cerebral palsy.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Cristal and Blake head on their belated honeymoon while Fallon confronts some old demons and Steven comes to Sammy Jo’s rescue.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Benson tries to get over her issues with Sheila and Rollins goes undercover at a high end rehab center to investigate the death of a teenage patient.

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Claire throws a party for Jay and Gloria’s wedding anniversary to make up for her bad mood on the day of their nuptials and Phil plans a magic trick that makes Gloria feel self-conscious.

SEAL Team (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Clay’s tasked with delivering bad news and the team must work with Jason’s longtime rival to plan a military raid.

Star (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — Ayana is quickly reminded of the tremendous pressure she is under to make her family proud when her father—a legendary music label executive—pays a visit to Midtown.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Taylor considers dating an older man as Greg and Katy go to war over Anna-Kat’s desire to keep her beloved pet pig.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Voight asks for the help of Vice Sgt. Sean McGrady in a homicide investigation but when the Sgt. turns up dead, the case takes a surprising turn.

Criminal Minds (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — Several women go missing in Virginia and the BAU must figure out what they all have in common in order to find them.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – President Kirkman tries to negotiate the release of a Navy ship stuck in enemy waters before a global incident can occur.

The Shannara Chronicles (Spike, 10:00 p.m.) — Wil, Mareth, and Allanon travel to a dangerous territory for an answer.

American Horror Story: Cult (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – Kai’s origin story as a cult leader was revealed last episode and along with haunted houses and dead pastors, a threesome with his sister was also teased. So how will tonight top that? With Ally officially joining the cult and Kai forcing his followers to drink a mysterious concoction. And probably a ton of other weird sh*t.

NCIS (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) — A petty officer is found murdered on a golf course, and McGee spends hours on the victim’s ham radio trying to locate a key witness.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Barry runs into an old nemesis while Cisco has a meeting with Gypsy’s father on Earth-1 and the two take an immediate disliking to one another.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Sue puts her foot down when Mike asks her to plan his and Frankie’s 25th wedding anniversary. Meanwhile, Brick lands a seat in the school’s orchestra and Axl tries to create a new beverage combining beer and wine.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) — Kelly Clarkson participates in some nonsense called the “Voice Halloween Confessional” and the show takes a look back at the most memorable moments of the season so far.

World Series: Game 6: Astros at Dodgers (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – It’s the Houston Astros at the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – When Jessica’s aunt passes away, the family heads to Houston for the funeral and Jessica is reunited with her estranged father.

Blackish (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Junior’s future at his prep school is threatened by a misunderstanding.

Bull (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — Bull travels to a small town on a personal mission to help his high school sweetheart sue a local factory that she believes is making residents ill by contaminating the water.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Zari tries to find her place on the ship and on the team as the Legends travel back to 1988 to stop a young Ray Palmer from befriending a time-displaced baby Dominator and putting his own life in danger.

Major Crimes (TNT, 9:00 p.m.) – Season six premieres with the crimes unit investigating the disappearance of three 15-year-old boys from a Catholic school field trip.

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Halloween proves life-changing for the present Big Three while in the past, Jack and Rebecca’s trick-or-treating plans with the kids go awry.

The Mayor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Dina plans to take a sick day in order to pamper herself and Courtney faces off against a fierce Transit Union lawyer when the city’s bus drivers go on strike.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Kevin tries to help a single mother pay her son’s medical bills and Yvette struggles with the full range of human emotions.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — The murder of a petty officer leads Pride to a mysterious woman who is targeting men with high security clearance.

Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – Lyle and Erik recount the years of sexual abuse suffered at the hands of their father while Leslie makes a surprising move after Judge Weisberg approves the prosecution’s request to unseal the tape of the brothers’ confession to Dr. Oziel.

The Late Late Show With James Corden: Allison Janney, Laurence Fishburne, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Iliza Shlesinger

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah: Gretchen Carlson

Conan: JB Smoove, Whitney Cummings, Joel Kim Booster

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-american-horror-story-cult-2/feed/0ahs-cult.jpgWhat’s On Tonight: ‘Superior Donuts’ Is Back And So Is A Familiar Face On ‘Lucifer’http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-superior-donuts-cbs-season-2/
http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-superior-donuts-cbs-season-2/#commentsMon, 30 Oct 2017 20:30:00 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400899334

CBS

Superior Donuts (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Season two premieres with Franco struggling to make his college dreams come true and Arthur facing off against a new business competitor who parks her organic food truck right in front of the shop.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Lucifer and Chloe investigate the death of a food chemist and in their search for the killer, they face off against criminal defense attorney Charlotte Richards – you know, the woman Satan’s mother once inhabited.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – The couples perform some spooky Halloween numbers including team dances before one pair gets eliminated.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Kyle gets back into the dating game as Kevin goes on a road trip with Chale to retrieve Kendra’s treasured owl-shaped cookie jar after he accidentally sold it.

Supergirl (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Kara investigates a secretive new group whose leader has a connection to Supergirl and J’onn confesses a secret.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) — Kelly Clarkson serves as a key adviser and is on hand to work with all of the coaches and their teams as the “knockout rounds” begin.

The Gifted (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Blink confronts Dreamer while Jace throws all the power of the Sentinel Services into finding the Mutant Underground Way Station and we finally find out why he’s so set on destroying all of mutant kind.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — While the Shadow Raiders prepare for the next step in their mission, Nora struggles to get her demons under control and Gallo realizes that his relationship with Anna might be putting her in jeopardy.

Me, Myself & I (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) — Young Alex works with Young Darryl on an invention for a school project while Mid-life Alex leaves his partnership with his friend for a new career opportunity.

Stranger Things (Netflix) – The Duffer Brothers are bringing us back to Hawkins and it seems like sh*t’s about to really hit the fan. Will’s back home after his adventure in the Upside Down but the kid’s experiencing some disturbing visions and strange side effects that don’t bode well. Meanwhile, Eleven is still missing and since homegirl’s really their only chance of defeating the Demogorgon set on destroying the town, finding her should be top of the priority list.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) — Gordon and Bullock are hot on a serial killer who has been assassinating cops and dressing his victims in the severed heads of pigs as his signature mark. You know, your basic serial killer sh*t.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Owen and Megan heal old wounds as the events leading up to her kidnapping in Iraq are revealed in a flashback.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Sam tries to help Jack learn to control his powers while Dean and Jody protect the granddaughter of a psychic killed by a wraith with a taste for her kind.

Superstore (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Amy and Garrett create trouble when they set Jonah up using a dating app and Glenn and Dina are forced to do damage control when they find a dead body in the store.

The Good Place (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) – Michael and Janet race to fix a glitch in the neighborhood before everyone else takes notice.

Scandal (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) — Mellie prepares for the upcoming Nuclear Summit with President Rashad and Prime Minister Nazari while QPA takes on a surprising client.

Van Helsing (Syfy, 9:00 p.m.) – Vanessa has a run in with a group of vampires who use gruesome methods to hunt their prey.

Will & Grace (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Jack hits the jackpot and Grace lands a huge client when she agrees to decorate a string of boutique hotels for a picky business mogul.

The Orville (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Ed sends a team led by Kelly to a planet similar to Earth in order to find two missing Union anthropologists but things get tricky when they discover how the society’s government chooses to punish law breakers.

Great News (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) – Katie attends a hip Halloween party in New York in order to impress her friends back in Jersey while Chuck tries to convince Carol that the show’s new piece of equipment is possessed.

Better Things (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – A blackout causes panic and forces Sam to lay down the law in her relationships.

Chicago Fire (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Casey and Severide collide after Casey argues with him over the best way to save a teenager entangled in barbed wire. Casey looks to Boden for help, but realizes that he will have to fix the situation by himself.

How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Bonnie goes to extreme lengths to get to the bottom of Annalise’s new case.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Archie gets frustrated with the police investigation into his father’s shooting so he takes matters into his own hands (because everyone knows a teenager with a baseball bat is the only hope of solving a mysterious crime on a CW teen drama). Meanwhile, Veronica introduces her dad to Archie and Jughead starts his first day at Southside High.

The Blacklist (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Liz and the Task Force go up against a rival CIA division after Red provides information about a wanted international terrorist.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Adam and Jackie fight over their Halloween costumes and when Murray tries to play peacemaker his good intentions backfire, causing problems in his relationship with Beverly.

World Series: Game 2: Astros at Dodgers (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – The Houston Astros take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – The kids trip out after eating some expired Halloween candy and Kenneth agonizes over which era of Michael Jackson to dress as for Halloween.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — The Carringtons don their best costumes for a charity gala while Cristal is forced to choose between her old family and her new one.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Carisi lands in hot water for a newspaper interview he did and a kidnapping case from years ago is reopened when the missing girl shows up in Central Park.

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Tensions rise between Cam and Gloria when Jay takes too long to do his kitchen remodel. Meanwhile, Phil and Claire want to go big for Halloween but the rest of the family isn’t interested.

SEAL Team (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — Jason and the SEAL team must navigate the contentious evacuation on an embassy in South Sudan when the country becomes increasingly unstable.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – The Ottos are gifted a “Boo” which is a Westport tradition of an anonymous note and goodies being left on a neighbor’s doorstep. Katie’s pretty excited about it until she finds out it was left by mistake.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — When Intelligence busts a meth lab run by gang leader Marshall Carter, they uncover a re-homing scam in which children adopted from foreign countries are abandoned and then sold online.

Criminal Minds (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Shemar Moore returns tonight when Garcia needs Morgan’s help in dealing with a case that has ties to her past.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — A private conversation with the president is misrepresented on the news by a senator, and the result requires Kirkman to win back the American people’s trust.

The Shannara Chronicles (Spike, 10:00 p.m.) — Eretria and Mareth must work together to free a trapped Will.

Some answers

Keith Phipps: You know what I’d like to see a bit more of in Stranger Things 2? Hawkins’ past. The first season hinted the fictional Indiana town had a long, rich history, but we only saw a few corners of it. Surely a place that grew up alongside a mysterious research center has unusual stories that predate the arrival of the Demogorgon. Did nobody blink an eye when mysterious government types set up shop on the outskirts of town? And when was that, anyway? What deals were struck? How deep does the conspiracy go? Hmm… The more I consider it, the more that sounds like material for a prequel series. Still, while it helps the show in some ways for Hawkins to be Anytown, USA, it’s going to be increasingly hard to sustain this illusion the longer weird happenings keep visiting it.

Dan Seitz: Myself, I kinda want to know why the hell the Byerses stayed in Hawkins. The rest of the kids, I get it, their families are clueless. Hell, we don’t even see Dustin or Lucas’ parents. But the Byers family would have qualified as “going through hell” even without the supernatural goings-on. Why haven’t they put Hawkins and its freaky government facility (which the trailers hint is still open, no less!) in the rearview mirror?

Childlike innocence

Alyssa Fikse: I want these kids to stay kids forever (or as long as the show is running). I don’t want these adorable moppets to turn into awkward teens completely overrun with hormones and acne. The dynamic between these kids is just so perfect, and the earnestness of childhood is the ideal background for Stranger Things’ particular brand of nostalgia. I’m normally in the camp of “child actors are the worst,” but this friend group changed my mind almost immediately. Let me know what trickster god I need to make a deal with for this to happen.

Whatever the opposite of childlike innocence is

Netflix

Jessica Toomer: Let me preface this by saying that I respect David Harbour as an actor and a person, but that does not mean I’m above objectifying him on this show. I don’t know if it’s the whole “tortured father struggling to cope with his daughter’s death by drowning in alcohol” thing, his give no f*cks attitude, that sheriff outfit, or a combination of all three, but Sheriff Hopper can get it. I mean, how can you not be attracted to a man who leaves Eggos for nourishment for a little killer psychic living in the woods and saves a nerd with a bowl cut by digging monstrous slugs out of his mouth. If that doesn’t get your ovaries to pop up and say, “We’re ready,” I don’t know what does. So, as a service to fans (because it’s all about the fans here. I’m not thinking about myself at all in this scenario) I’d like to see the Duffer brothers gift us with a shirtless Hopper, plowing down a pumpkin patch in search of a Demogorgon nest, maybe covered in oil or slimy monster goo – whichever makes more sense for storytelling purposes.

Dark Reiser

Jason Tabrys: I grew up watching Paul Reiser eek his way through fatherhood beside Greg Evigan and Greg Evigan’s amazing hair on My Two Dads. As a teenager, I saw Reiser play the rare TV husband who seemed happy in his marriage on Mad About You. Yes, I know he was in Beverly Hills Cop and Aliens, but those were the roles that came to mind when I thought about him. But for the last few years, Reiser has taken on supporting roles as somewhat complicated older men in dramedies like Red Oaks and Married, redefining his perceived limits as an actor along the way. And now Reiser is set to play what sounds like an evil doctor on Stranger Things and I am 100% down for it because it’s pretty exciting to see actors surprise you and Reiser has shown he is capable of that. So I want to see Paul Buchman get mean and yell at these children, essentially.

Other things!

Brian Grubb: My main hope for Stranger Things is that it maintains the levels of quality and fun that it had in season one. This is no small task. The first season was a phenomenon that snuck in under the radar, which is a nice way to make an entrance. No expectations, no stress, all glory. Now that’s flipped a little and we’ve seen things go south before when that happens. Think, like, the second season of True Detective. If this season ends with Hopper slowly marching to his death in the desert while hallucinating mean teens, I will not be very happy. So that’s my primary hope. That it be good and not bad. Fairly reasonable, I think.

In addition, on a smaller level, I think I would like to see:

– Eleven fly in a bicycle like E.T.

– The hormone monster from Big Mouth show up and start terrorizing Mike.

– Jason Statham show up as a cop or Demogorgon.

– Mr. Clarke get arrested for teaching kids how to make a pipe bomb, which he will do innocently because they had questions about combustion, but will get him in trouble when they use the information blow up old cars in the junkyard.

– Dustin swear a lot.

– Hopper take two bad guys and bonk their heads together like coconuts.

Again, all reasonable requests.

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/stranger-things-2-want-to-see/feed/0stranger-2-tfeat-uproxx.jpgWhat’s On Tonight: ‘The Flash’ Has Some Bad Luck And ‘This Is Us’ Has Another Surprise In Storehttp://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-this-is-us-nbc-2/
http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-this-is-us-nbc-2/#respondTue, 24 Oct 2017 20:30:00 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400886724

CBS

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – In the past, Jack takes the boys on a camping trip which leaves Rebecca to deal with some surprising news alone. In the present, Kate surprises Toby at work and Kevin and Randall attend a fundraiser together.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Barry and the team can’t seem to catch a break and quickly realize it’s because of a new metahuman nicknamed Hazard who has the ability to give others bad luck.

NCIS (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – An embarrassing photo from McGee’s teen years becomes a meme and one of Reeves’ friends gets kidnapped by a criminal with sensitive military information.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Sue becomes the unwanted third wheel as Axl and Lexie try to carve out some alone time and Brick and Frankie investigate a murder that took place 50 years ago.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – The battle rounds end with Blake tasking his singers to perform a country anthem, Jennifer gifting her artists with a surprising song choice, and Miley assigning her singers a song of special significance.

World Series: Game 1: Astros at Dodgers (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – It’s the Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Louis tries to get Evan into the Halloween spirit while Jessica and Emery investigate a mysterious man’s voice that seems to be emitting from Grandma’s bedroom.

Blackish (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Dre’s family game night quickly spirals out of control with the kids forming alliances and Bow’s feelings about Junior’s girlfriend being made known.

Bull (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) — Bull navigates the unfamiliar rules of a Native American tribal court when his college roommate is accused of committing murder on a reservation.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — Sara travels to the future to capture a rogue time traveler but the Legends get in the way when they decide to protect an outlaw named Zari.

The Mayor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Jermaine and T.K. try to prank Val and Courtney tries to compromise with Police Chief Fox about the Halloween celebration at City Hall.

American Horror Story: Cult (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – Beverly tries to stir an uprising against Kai which probably won’t end well for her since Winter seems to be firmly on her brother’s side. Meanwhile, Ally confronts Dr. Vincent on his familial connections.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) — Kevin helps a diner owner who’s mean-spirited, and he gets stuck in a tricky situation with her equally difficult sister.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — Sebastian is placed on administrative leave after his response in a foot chase to apprehend a high-value fugitive is questioned by the FBI. Meanwhile, Pride and the team continue to track the target and try to clear Sebastian’s name.

Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Judge Stan Weisberg decides to allow the court proceedings to be broadcast on television which just heightens the public scrutiny of the brothers. Meanwhile, the star witness for the prosecution has his ethical practices called into question.

Drop the Mic (TBS, 10:30 p.m.) — James Corden takes on Halle Berry and Usher faces Anthony Anderson in Corden’s popular Late Night skit which has celebs rap battling each other.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) –If you insist on watching, be prepared for Kevin to throw a typical scumbag move and lie his way out of working on a Sunday in order to enjoy a football game with the boys.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Nora has trouble handling her nerves while searching for information on what happened in Somalia.

Me, Myself & I (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) – Mid-life Alex goes searching for his father after helping his daughter with a family tree project and older Alex meets older Abby’s new boyfriend.

The Brave (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – The team heads to Nigeria to rescue Ambassador Charles Webb but the situation on the ground is even more dangerous than expected.

The Good Doctor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – The doctors struggle to figure out what’s triggering a patient’s allergies while Shaun is confronted with his past when a young patient resembling his dead brother is admitted to the E.R.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus just might be the second coming – if you happened to be a 50-something actor struggling to find good work in Hollywood. That’s where Diedrich Bader was before Dreyfus handpicked him for the role of Bill Ericsson on Veep. Bader spent just a few seasons indulging in his most sarcastic self as the scheming campaign manager but the role helped open up new opportunities for the veteran of The Drew Carey Show. After Veep, Bader landed a co-starring role opposite Katy Mixon on American Housewife, and he’s been a recurring character on Pamela Adlon’s FX comedy, Better Things. That resumé probably explains why he prefers working with women and why he feels pretty strongly about all of the misogynistic bullshit surrounding the Harvey Weinstein scandal. We talked to Bader about his role on Better Things, Hollywood’s problem with sexism, and the shittiest acting job he’s ever had.

The “Eulogy” episode of Better Things gave us a glimpse of Sam teaching an acting class. How true to life is that scene?

It’s super true to life. I love the Asian guy at the end, who obviously, I think is going to give up acting. [He’s] just kind of marinating in the rejection of it all and wondering if he wants to put himself through that. I really like that moment.

Have you ever been chewed into by an acting coach in a situation like that? I’m hoping for a horror story here.

I had an acting teacher named Yury Belov. He was really my mentor at North Carolina School of the Arts. He used to rip into me all the time. I mean, he would just really tear me to pieces. Looking back, I don’t disagree with a single thing he said.

Were there tears?

I cried a lot. I cried in front of class. I cried outside of class. I cried on my way back home.

That should be a disclaimer for all art school applicants.

Oh yeah. You will cry, and you will be rejected. At the same time, it’s a good set up for the career. Because if you can’t take rejection, you can’t take criticism, then you should really think of a different career. I’ve had casting directors tell me, right in front of me, “You know, you were our favorite actor but we’re really having a looks problem.” I mean, there was nothing I could do about that. They hire some totally gorgeous guy and everybody buys it anyway.

On the show Sam tells her students that most of the writing actors get is shitty and it’s their job to elevate it. What’s the shittiest writing you’ve had to deal with?

I don’t even know if it’s IMDb now that I think about it. I did a reenactment show called FBI: The Untold Story. I was 25 years old and I’d been here five years and I decided at that five-year mark, that I was going to just pick any job I could. It was really, really, really bad. I can’t say that I rose to the occasion and really elevated the material. I just wanted my check.

You have been working with Pamela Adlon for a bit now. What is her directing style like?

What’s great is that she knows what she wants. I like to compare it to a jazz musician who has been playing a really long time. He could do the flashy notes, but he just chooses that one note where you’re like, “Oh yeah that’s just right.”

The first scene I did with her was last season and my character admitted he was afraid of death. My father had just died. Because of the space and the freedom that she gave, I wasn’t self-conscious at all saying that I was afraid. I’m still afraid of death of course, but in that time it was very close to me. I didn’t have to [make it] feel like a joke and I wasn’t trying to set up her joke. We were playing a real scene. I think that’s what’s so cool about the show is that it is funny, but it is also so genuine.

You’ve worked with plenty of creative women over the years. Have you learned anything from them?

It’s just so much more fun to work with women than it is with men. I appreciate the lack of overt competition that it’s only about the work itself and trying to make it better. And I also like how with all of the women involved [Katy Mixon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Pamela Adlon], they’re not small-talkers. Like a lot women, they really like to get the meat of what you are talking about.

It’s just an entirely different workplace. Guys tend to, if you’re funny in a scene, try to upstage you in some way or another. Or like take whatever is funny out of it as best they can because they are competing with you, instead of trying to make the scene as best as possible.

I just got increasingly frustrated working with male actors. And then I had one great scene with Julia on Veep, and she and I had such a good time together she just kept bringing me back on the show. I owe so much of this part of my career to Julia because she brought me back. I was kind of bored and frustrated and she completely transformed my career. And now I am the supporting player to the triumvirate of unbelievably talented, strong women: Katy Mixon, Pam Adlon, and Julia. I couldn’t be happier to be in this spot giving service to the queens.

Being in that spot, the Weinstein scandal has to hit a nerve because you work with so many women on TV.

It is not news to me. It happens, and it is terrible. I didn’t know anything about Weinstein. I didn’t know the level of what we’re talking about because I will say a lot of his projects have really good parts for women in them. Unlike some other big producers where the women are [treated like] props that are just moved around. Those producers you’d think would be the ones where they really look down on women, and don’t value them for being fully rounded human beings.

I tend to watch old movies with my kids more than new ones, and a lot of it is because the women are valued. If you look at the old movie stars of the ’30s and ’40s, and they give it as good as they get it. I feel like we drifted away from that and just got into this area of this faux femininity that made it possible for us to reduce women to these stupid, reductive roles and not really tell the true and interesting stories. People like Pam, that’s a really strong female character. There are two episodes [of her show] that start with her on the damn can. I really love that. That she’s willing to expose herself and say women are fully rounded human beings. I think Julia does the same thing. And not to plug my own show too much, but I think Katy Mixon does the same thing on our show.

It’s good that this came out. I feel like we’re in the last throes of a type of masculinity that’s just so old and tired and stupid. You look around at people like the president, who pose themselves like they’re this version of masculinity, and you just go, “Yuck, did that ever happen? I mean who are you?”

It’s definitely hard to figure out if we’re moving forward or going back when you hear things like this.

I asked my wife, this sounds really terrible, but I was like why didn’t he just go to hookers or something if he was that much of a horn dog? Why are you constantly meeting actresses in hotel rooms? She’s like, “It’s about the power.”

One thing that’s really driven me crazy about this whole thing is that nobody is blaming the goddamn agents. Come on. You’re telling me they didn’t know? Sure I didn’t know, but I’m just an actor. They didn’t have some other actor calling them up crying saying, ‘He did this to me,’ and then later they sent another actress into exactly the same situation. I think that’s just bullshit.

The word “impossible” holds different meanings for different people. For some, “impossible” is a roadblock, a dead stop, a mile-high hurdle not worth jumping over. It’s an excuse to throw in the towel, to give up, to settle for less. For some, hope can seem impossible, for others, “impossible” is a battle cry, a challenge to push oneself further, to defy limitations. It’s what dreams are built on.

Paralympic athletes Brad Snyder, Tatyana McFadden, and Olympic swimmer Rami Anis have had plenty of experience creating dreams out of the rubble of adversity. It’s why they traveled to Athens, Greece, the birthplace of the Games, the original global stage for defying the word “impossible,” for the first annual Toyota Mobility Summit, aimed at starting a conversation around how technology can help everyone achieve forward mobility.

Sporting events like the Olympics bring the world together. They remind us of a shared dream, of the possibility for potential. That’s what the summit in Greece, along with Toyota’s “Start Your Impossible” initiative, is geared towards doing — helping people of all backgrounds living with all kinds of circumstances have the chance to live up to their own promise. And they’re doing it through some pretty cool tech.

Paralympic swimmer Brad Snyder’s world went dark in 2011. The U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician — he was a real-life Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker — had an IED explode right in front of him in Afghanistan. It didn’t take his limbs, but it did take his eyes. Snyder spent a year recovering, learning to manage basic tasks. He also took up swimming again. A blind man swimming is not “impossible” but a blind man bouncing back from a traumatic injury to compete and win gold in the Paralympics just one year later? That might be. Snyder did it anyway. He went to the Mobility Summit because he wants to give others without the gift of sight a chance to do what he did. Project Blade — a new piece of tech that made its debut in Greece — employs the same mechanics used in self-driving cars to help the visually-impaired. It might not be the catalyst for another blind veteran to win the Olympics, but it has the ability to help people see and, more importantly, be seen.

Tatyana McFadden, another athlete redefining words like “mobility” and “impossible” grew up in an orphanage in Russia. For six years she had no idea where her life was headed. She did know she had a hole in her spine — she was born with Spina Bifida — and because the orphanage had no wheelchairs, she had to learn to walk on her hands to keep up with the other kids. She was adopted by an American couple and settled in the U.S. She wanted to compete in track but had to fight to enact a law allowing people with disabilities to race alongside abled students — one every school in the nation now follows — in order to do so. By 15, she had become the youngest US Paralympian to compete in the Games. By 28, she had won 17 medals and raced in 17 marathons. She can’t drive the i-ROAD — another piece of new tech that debuted at the summit that serves as a cross between a small car and a motorcycle and allows its driver to operate using only their hands — in her sporting events, but the vehicle could make life easier for her and everyone else living their daily life on two wheels.

But mobility isn’t just about the action of moving forward, its the drive behind that action. What spurs people to make a change, to pursue the impossible? Rami Anis’ hurdle wasn’t physical. The promising swimmer was one of the fastest in the pool in his home country. But that home country happened to be Syria and once war broke out in Aleppo, Anis was forced to put his Olympic dreams on hold and make the dangerous trek from Turkey to Greece — a journey that has killed over 3,000 refugees in recent years. He swam when he could, reuniting with family members in Europe when it was safe and eventually marching with a ten-man team in Rio under a nationless flag, the first refugee team to compete in the history of the Games. For him, the Mobility Summit represented an opportunity to give the world a different perspective on the “impossible,” to look at people who have continued moving forward despite insurmountable odds and see a bit of themselves in their stories.

Anis, McFadden, and Snyder helped usher in the “Start Your Impossible” initiative with the hope that the tech people saw in Greece and the journeys they heard will help others get moving towards accomplishing their dreams, to get the world moving towards peace and a sustainable future. Because if Anis, McFadden, and Snyder can teach us anything, it’s that “impossible” is just a matter of perspective.

The Good Place (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) – Tahani shares a dark secret with Janet while Eleanor and Chidi face an ethical dilemma which leads to a conflict with Michael.

Superstore (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Jonah walks in on an attempted robbery at the store which obviously causes him to lose his sh*t and pits him against Dina. Meanwhile, Glenn has a problem firing the store’s security guard following the incident.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Sofia Falcone makes a deal with Penguin to protect her own life as Bruce wields the power of the dagger and Nygma tries to regain his empire at the expense of an old friend.

MLB Playoff: Game 5: Dodgers at Cubs (TBS, 8:00 p.m.) – The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Chicago Cubs.

NBA Basketball: New York Knicks at Oklahoma City Thunder (TNT, 8:00 p.m.) – It’s the New York Knicks at Oklahoma City Thunder in a season opener.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – The new Prince of Hell sets his sights on Jack just as Sam and Dean begin to explore what the boy is capable of and whether they can truly protect him.

Thursday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders (CBS, 8:25 p.m.) – The Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Oakland Raiders.

Arrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Oliver finds it difficult to balance his duties as mayor and his vigilante nightlife with his responsibilities as a father, especially when Anatoly returns to Star City with a deadly agenda.

Scandal (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Fitz bunkers down in Vermont, avoiding public life for the first 100 days of Mellie’s presidency until Marcus joins him to begin work on his presidential library.

Van Helsing (Syfy, 9:00 p.m.) – Vanessa’s forced to make an impossible choice to protect her daughter while Axel and a former ally struggle to survive.

Will & Grace (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Grace and Karen get in trouble with the hot guy at work and Jack calls on Will for help when his estranged son’s son turns up with a problem only the gay duo can solve.

Great News (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) — Katie tries to stop her mother from attending an award show, but is unsuccessful when Carol secures a position as a seat-filler.

Better Things (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – Last week gave us a fantastic Phil-centric episode but tonight we get back to the really important stuff, i.e. Sam demanding satisfaction, and a piece of the spotlight.

How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Annalise feels back in her element working on a big case but Bonnie is suspicious of her motives.

The Walking Dead (AMC, 10:00 p.m.) — Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, and the rest of the cast celebrate the show’s 100th episode and prep us for the next season.

LATE NIGHT GUESTS

Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Billy Joel, Tracy Morgan, Paul Shaffer

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah: Vic Mensa

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-the-good-place-nbc-2/feed/1Good Place TrolleyRosa Diaz Quotes For When You Need To Be A Stone Cold Badasshttp://uproxx.com/tv/rosa-diaz-quotes-brooklyn-nine-nine-badass/
http://uproxx.com/tv/rosa-diaz-quotes-brooklyn-nine-nine-badass/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 15:55:15 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400873454

Fox

There are fierce women on television and then there’s Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz). The stoic, mysterious detective on Brooklyn 99 is in a league of her own when it comes to giving zero f*cks about… well, anything. She doesn’t conform to societal norms, doesn’t ascribe to social rituals, and she damn sure doesn’t care what people think of her. Detective Diaz doesn’t mind punching tubby cops in the gut for wishing her a happy birthday. She’s only told three people she loves them, and she regrets one of those times after finding out her grandfather wasn’t dying. She enjoys planning moments of spiteful vengeance to enact on her deathbed. She is, quite simply, the most badass woman on the planet.

Trying to imitate her cool, unfeeling brashness towards people and her general unimpressed attitude towards life is probably impossible — you’re born with that kind of talent or you’re not — but in case you want to give it a try, here are a few quotes you can learn from.

“I hate small talk. Let’s drink in silence.”

Fox/Giphy

People throughout history have lauded the value of small talk. It’s become a staple in all human interactions and, quite frankly, we’ve developed an embarrassing reliance on it. Not Rosa Diaz. The detective has never been the kind of person who feels obligated to talk nonsense just to make others feel at ease. That’s why, when she was enjoying a beer with Detective Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) after solving a murder case and dealing with Jake Peralta’s (Andy Samberg) strange sexual adventure with a medical examiner in season one, she refused to respond to his painfully obvious colloquial initiator.

Why commiserate on a lousy work day with a co-worker or chat about the weather with a stranger when you can just enjoy the sweet sound of silence while sipping an ice cold beer and pretending to hate everyone around you? Look, it takes a special kind of confidence to endure long, stilted pauses in conversations without succumbing to the nagging need to fill said silences with inane chatter. Be that special kind of confidence-possessing person.

“Your entire life is garbage.”

Fox/Giphy

Sugarcoating the truth to protect people’s feelings is one of life’s biggest time-wasters. It’s right up there with scrolling through Twitter hoping for good news and watching compilations of cake-glazing videos on Youtube. Being “nice” is not one of life’s requirements.

Even if Diaz did care about making people happy and having them like her, she still wouldn’t have time to entertain idiots like Gina’s (Chelsea Peretti) friend Carlene, a psychic with a degree in numerology from the internet who moonlighted as an assistant manager at a designer shoe store. Not only did Carlene share some vague, unhelpful “visions” with the squad, she also managed to frighten Boyle with predictions of bodily harm and unrequited love, so when Diaz told the woman her life was garbage, it wasn’t just deserved, it was true. Who knows, maybe that cutting comeback prompted Carlene to pursue a more noble career — like general manager of a designer shoe store. But that’s not the point. The point is Diaz can rest easy at night knowing she didn’t compromise her badassery for the sake of politeness.

“What kind of woman doesn’t have an axe?”

Fox/Giphy

When Gina is made to feel helpless when her apartment is broken into and her homemade Joseph Gordon-Levitt nesting dolls are stolen Diaz tries to help her solve the case but runs into some difficulty when Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) asks that she put herself in the administrator’s shoes — a young woman living alone without anyway to defend herself.

For Diaz, who has an arsenal at home — throwing stars, nun chucks, an axe — imagining not being able to wield a deadly weapon to protect herself and her valuables is pretty much impossible. After all, what kind of woman doesn’t have an ax? Badass lesson #1: You don’t have to be a trained police officer to be able to handle yourself in a fight, you just need a sharp killing device at the ready.

“It’s very embarrassing having feelings.”

Fox/Giphy

As human beings, having feelings is just one of those unavoidable burdens we all must bear. But just because we have them, doesn’t mean they should be talked about constantly or shared with others. In fact, whenever possible, go out of your way to sidestep all mention of them, even if it means participating in a simulated competition in which the highest murder count wins.

When Rosa has an important dinner with her parents and her boyfriend potentially interrupted by an extra shift, instead of sharing that info with Detective Santiago (Melissa Fumero) to get her to take the weekend work, Diaz competes for the day off, killing as many people as she can in a police drill in order to avoid talking about her feelings. Why? Because having feelings is embarrassing. Remember that.

“I don’t ask people out. I just tell them where we’re going.”

Fox/Giphy

Reading social cues is an integral part of dating, especially in the beginning of a relationship when you’re forced to suss out whether someone’s attracted to you and looking to spend more one-on-one time. Asking someone on a date can be the single most terrifying thing a person does in their life mostly because it opens us up to a certain kind of emotional vulnerability. Rosa Diaz doesn’t do emotions and she damn sure doesn’t do vulnerable, that’s why she takes all of the guesswork out of dating by just doling out orders to potential suitors instead of inquiring into their own wants and feelings. Not only does this eliminate potential awkwardness, it also establishes a power dynamic that skews in her favor should the relationship move forward.
​“You’re so good at being lame and I’m not.”

Fox/Giphy

For Rosa Diaz and every strong independent woman like her, one thing will always be true: Life is about kicking ass, not kissing it. Compliments are just hollow inanities, devoid of meaning, often accompanied by self-serving intentions. Most people dish out praise to further their own goals and to make themselves feel better. If someone’s always fawning over everything you do, you never know what they truly think of you. But that’s one problem Rosa’s colleagues will never have. Even when she’s applauding a person’s strengths or talents — like she did with Boyle when he helped her craft sexy texts to her boyfriend — she’s doing it in a way that reminds people of how average they truly are. Backhanded compliments are an easy way to communicate approval without getting too sickly sweet and sentimental about it.

And now, thanks to these quotes, you can go off and live a Rosa Diaz kind of life. You’re welcome.

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/rosa-diaz-quotes-brooklyn-nine-nine-badass/feed/0rosa-diaz-brooklyn-99.jpgAll The Times Tami Taylor Was The TV Mom We All Wish We Hadhttp://uproxx.com/tv/tami-taylor-friday-night-lights-best-tv-mom/
http://uproxx.com/tv/tami-taylor-friday-night-lights-best-tv-mom/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 15:52:06 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400866088

NBC

Plenty of moms have graced our televisions over the years. They’ve come dressed in aprons and high heels, sporting ’70s bell-bottoms and towering blue hair. They’ve been doctors and housewives, witches, small business owners, and genius anthropologists but few have been as real, down-to-earth, and awesome as Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) on Friday Night Lights.

Tami was the kind of mom who supported you no matter what (even when you purposefully crashed your car in order to avoid going back to college), offering love and guidance. But beyond that, she was the TV mom we all hoped for growing up and here are a few times she proved that on the show.

When She Gave A Not-So-Cringeworthy Sex Talk

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As awkward as everyone’s “first time” usually is, it has to be just as cringe-worthy for the parents explaining sex to their children. I mean, at least we get a couple of sex-ed classes in middle school to point us in the right direction. There’s no “Bird and the Bees” course for all those poor mom and dads out there fumbling their way through medical jargon, genital hygiene, and safe-sex demonstrations.

Luckily for Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden) she had a mom as understanding, sympathetic, and downright reasonable as Tami Taylor. Did Tami completely lose it when she suspected Julie might be giving it up to that lanky, stuttering QB1 Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford)? Sure, but instead of completely shutting down a productive, sex-positive conversation with her daughter and effectively ending any chance that Julie would ever come to her for help in that area again, she decided to actually parent and parent well, reminding Julie that she always had autonomy over her body and the right to say “no.”

When She Taught Her Husband Some Damn Manners

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I don’t care if Colin Firth claimed it as his motto in The Kingsman series, everyone knows Southern moms are the reason the phrase “manners maketh the man” exists. After all, this is one of the most crucial directives in the Southern Mom Handbook – right up there with the secret to making a mean sweet tea and the correct pronunciation of “y’all.” Tami Taylor knows this, which is why she’s constantly reminding her angsty teenage daughter and boorish, football-loving husband how to act like a pair of actual human beings who weren’t raised in a barn. Such manners include the utterance of “please” and “thank you” when appropriate and taking your damn hat off at the dinner table. It’s not that hard but then again, one should never overestimate a middle-aged male’s capacity for common sense.

When She Was Good At Reading Between The Lines

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The idyllic, swoon-worthy, Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) could lead a bunch of sweaty, testosterone-crazed football players to a state championship, but he wasn’t always great when it came to reading between the lines with his family. Thankfully, Eric partnered with a strong, intuitive woman like Tami to pick up the slack when it came to their teenage daughter.

When Julie comes home from a date with Matt Saracen praising her parents for being their loving, supportive selves, Coach Taylor is content to simply lean back in his recliner and congratulate himself on his obvious awesomeness. His wife, a woman of exceptional intelligence and unparalleled experience reading her daughter’s unspoken thoughts and feelings, knows something prompted this out-of-character flattery and immediately resolves to get to the bottom of it. Thank God for moms like Tami Taylor. Without them, we’d all be drowning in pent up emotions or spending thousands of dollars a year in therapy bills.

When She Said What We’ve All Thought About Book Clubs

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Let it never be said that Tami Taylor was a woman who didn’t speak her mind. Whether she was serving shade to the school board, the football donors, or her own husband, Tami was always ready to call it like she saw it no matter how many side-eyes she left in her wake. But her most iconic candid moment came when she voiced her opinions on that strangest of social rituals — the dreaded neighborhood book club. A bunch of women getting together to discuss Fifty Shades of Grey or whatever piece of literature they’ve all collectively agreed to read for a month is bizarre for many reasons. First, you’ll never convince me that a group of women just happened to share the same taste in books. Second, and this is what Tami Taylor took issue with when invited to her circle’s weekly meeting – who has the damn time? Between serving as guidance counselor for the local high school, rearing her rebellious teen daughter, and supporting her husband in all his coaching responsibilities, the only thing Tami Taylor had time for was a large glass of wine before bed every night. Alcohol comes before books. Period.

When She Was The Perfect Shoulder To Cry On

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Tami Taylor was the best guidance counselor in Dillon, Texas for a reason. She knew when a student needed some tough love (like in the case of Tim Riggins skipping class constantly during his senior year) and when a student just needed an understanding shoulder to cry on or a silent wall off which to bounce life-changing decisions.

When Becky Sproles (Dora Madison Burge) found out she was pregnant after a fling with football player Luke Cafferty (Matt Lauria), she went to Tami for advice on what to do. Mrs. Taylor could’ve easily given her a judgmental spiel. Instead, she simply listened to Becky’s fears and concerns, offering her support and some words of wisdom to help the young teen get through one of the most difficult times in her life. Becky was worried she’d go to hell for having an abortion. She came to Tami, wanting to know what Mrs. Taylor, as a mother, would tell her daughter were she in the same position. Instead of a lecture, Tami gives Becky an unbiased, neutral opinion, saying she’d support her daughter no matter what and to think about what she wants out of life before making such a tough choice. Tami ended up losing her job because of that talk — the conservative school board members were a lot less understanding about the situation than Tami was — because she chose to do right by Becky by not injecting her own beliefs into the equation.

Tami didn’t approach the sensitive conversation as an educator, she came to Becky as a mother and a woman, one who understood what it was like to feel the pressures and judgments of living in a small town like Dillon. She gave Becky some heartfelt advice and she gave us another reason to view her as a great role model.

Really Anytime She Was There For Her Students

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Becky wasn’t the only confused teenager who benefited from Tami Taylor’s sage advice. Tyra Collete (Adrianne Palicki) made a name for herself in Dillon as a troublemaker. She liked to hook up with multiple members of the football team, ditch class, and visit her sister at the strip club. It wasn’t until Tami Taylor took an interest in her that Tyra began to see her own potential, away from her small town and its negative influences. Not only did Tyra become a better person and hardworking scholar, she eventually went to college, breaking free from Dillon and the constraints of her family’s reputation. Honestly, most of the kids at Dillon High would probably be in jail, hooked on drugs, working at the Landing Strip, or a combination of those three if it hadn’t been for Tami Taylor.

Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Elliot is driven to take drastic action to accomplish his goal of undoing five/nine while Darlene finds herself in a lose-lose situation and Mr. Robot sparks a panic.

You’re The Worst (FXX, 10:00 p.m.) – Gretchen and Boone’s relationship gets serious after Gretchen throws a divorce party for Lindsay. Meanwhile, Jimmy goes out of town for a romance and erotica fiction convention and Edgar’s friend convinces him to overspend on party planning.

Empire (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Lucious tries to move on from the anger of his past life as Cookie announces that the company’s top album will be decided through a competition between its highest-selling artists.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Betty puts her weight behind trying to save Pop’s diner after learning it might have to close its doors forever while the rest of the gang worries about Archie’s strange behavior following the shooting. Newsflash, the blood hasn’t dried from his varsity jacket yet so of course he’s going to have some unresolved issues.

The Blacklist (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Red makes a new contact that could help him with his cash flow problem and the Task Force tracks and elusive criminal determined to destroy some of the world’s most valuable treasures.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Erica turns to Adam for help balancing academics and her social life in college while Beverly tries to reinvent herself by heading to night school.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — The spotlight falls on the Carringtons when it’s discovered that Matthew’s death may have involved foul play forcing the family to put aside their own squabbles and band together to protect each other.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Some vicious cyberbullying by a group of students leads to the disappearance of one teenager.

MLB Playoff: Game 4: Dodgers at Cubs (TBS, 9:00 p.m.) – The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Alex tries to shed her good girl image to prove to her mother that she’s in a sexual relationship with her boyfriend … because reasons. Meanwhile, Jay’s friend Shorty returns from a trip to Costa Rica and ends up spending more time with Gloria than Jay’s comfortable with.

SEAL Team (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Clay’s estranged father comes to town and the team refuses to abandon a mission to capture a dangerous war criminal after it goes sideways.

Star (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Star’s father reenters her life, stirring up all kinds of emotions for the young singer just as a huge opportunity for the girls to perform at the record label party is put into jeopardy.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Katie uses a case of lice to bond with Taylor while Greg tries to convince Oliver to go camping with him in the backyard.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – The squad runs into a roadblock while investigating a drug-related homicide and the police force’s code of silence is put to the test.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – President Kirkman must work quickly to negotiate a new trade deal with Mexico after tensions rise following the shooting of a Mexica Citizen during a border dispute regarding trade imports.

South Park (Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m.) – Stan’s drug dealing business faces exposure after a string of beloved entertainers overdose on his product.

The Shannara Chronicles (Spike, 10:00 p.m.) — King Ander is presented with an ultimatum as Wil and Mareth search for answers.

Broad City (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.) – Ilana must navigate the cutthroat work culture of her sushi joint while struggling with seasonal affective disorder and Abbi’s mom comes to the city for a visit.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) – The squad embarks on its fifth annual Halloween Heist and relationships are tested when everyone makes a grab for the title “Amazing Human Slash Genius.”

American Horror Story: Cult (FX, 10:00 p.m.) – Kai’s doing pretty good following that assassination attempt but he has a new problem to deal with when Beverly demands they must kill another resident in order to keep the media attention focused on their cause. Meanwhile, Lena Dunham shows up as a radical feminist from the 60s who wants to wipe men off the face of the earth.

Lethal Weapon (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Murtaugh has trouble connecting with his daughter while he and Riggs try to solve a robbery case that took place 20,000 feet in the air.

NBA Basketball: Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers (TNT, 8:00 p.m.) – The Boston Celtics take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in a season opener at Cleveland.

NCIS (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – NCIS Special Agent Jacqueline Sloane, a forensic psychologist, joins the team as a mega-storm shuts down Washington D.C. With the power out, Torres and Bishop go out to sea to track evidence in the kidnapping of a sailor.

The Flash (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Barry takes on a dangerous meta who can control technology and he tackles an even bigger problem: his romantic relationship with Iris. Girl is understandably pissed that he left for six months to balance the Speed Force.

The Middle (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Mike and Frankie feel insecure about their bank accounts after having dinner with Lexi’s wealthy parents and Brick’s excitement about participating in an annual fundraiser is dimmed when things don’t go according to plan.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – The battle rounds continue tonight. Two of Jennifer Hudson’s artists are assigned a Whitney Houston song; Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts are impressed by Blake’s left-of-center rock artists; and Adam Levine and Joe Jonas task two vocalists with putting their own spin on a current hit.

Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Honey and Marvin want to expand their family which upsets Louis and Jessica who had hope to spend more time with their friends now that the kids are old enough to be left on their own.

Blackish (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Diane develops a crush on one of Zoey’s friends while Dre worries about Ruby’s ability to take care of herself after she falls prey to an internet scam.

Bull (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Bull is the one on trial tonight when a celebrity sues him after he gives her questionable advice during her custody hearing.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The team heads to the 1870s to fix the anachronism which happens to be at P.T. Barnum’s fledgling circus but they end up accidentally releasing a saber tooth tiger and becoming the prey of P.T. Barnum, who hopes to use Nate and Ray to ramp up the excitement for his new show.

The Mick (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Mickey throws a Halloween party in the family’s ruined mansion and Sabrina hopes to use the spooky soirée to cement her legacy.

This Is Us (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) – Jack and Rebecca field a visit from a unwelcome guest in the past while in the present, Beth and Randall deal with changing family dynamics and Kate welcomes a new opportunity.

The Mayor (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Courtney takes an unconventional approach to dealing with a disgruntled councilmen in order to win back the public’s favor.

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Yvette tries to organize the other celestial beings as Kevin helps a young couple get married and witnesses the consequences of lies.

NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) — The NCIS team investigates the copycat murder of an unsolved case from 150 years ago that spawned a legendary New Orleans ghost story.

Tosh.0 (Comedy Central, 10:00 p.m.) – In which Tosh discovers that ketchup is not just for French fries and urges his followers to grow out their pinkie nails.

Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — Erik and Lyle open up about the abuse they suffered at hands of their parents but without evidence, Leslie and Jill wonder how they will convince a jury.

LATE NIGHT GUESTS

Jimmy Kimmel Live!: David Letterman, Paul Shaffer

]]>http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-brooklyn-nine-nine-2/feed/1bk99.jpgWhat’s On Tonight: ‘The Gifted’ Learn To Control Their Powers And ‘Supergirl’ Takes On A Psychichttp://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-the-gifted-supergirl/
http://uproxx.com/tv/whats-on-tonight-the-gifted-supergirl/#respondMon, 16 Oct 2017 20:00:00 +0000http://uproxx.com/?p=400867870

Fox

The Gifted (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) – Thunderbird starts giving Blink lessons in how to control her powers while Reed makes a deal with the Sentinel Services to reunite with his family.

Supergirl (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Sam starts her new job at L-Corp as Kara takes on a thief with psychic powers who manages to immobilize much of National City by tapping into people’s worst fears.

Dancing With the Stars (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Another elimination takes place as the contestants take on some Disney-themed numbers.

Lucifer (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Maze heads to Canada to solve a difficult case after going to Lucifer and Linda for life advice but Chloe worries that a conman might be setting the demon up.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – Leonard’s mom quickly bonds with Penny, much to Leonard’s dismay, and Sheldon commiserates with Wolowitz over their miserable relationships with their fathers.

The Voice (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) — Blake Shelton teams up with Rascal Flatts, Adam Levine teams up with Joe Jonas, Jennifer Hudson teams up with Kelly Rowland, and Miley Cyrus teams up with her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus as the battle rounds begin.

9JKL (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) – Josh must choose between Judy and his friend Luke when Judy claims Josh’s new pal is the one who caused all of the water damage in the apartment.

Kevin Can Wait (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Kevin poses as a successful doctor in order to impress Vanessa’s judgmental father at her sister’s wedding.

Valor (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Nora and Gallo work through their issues as they seek further information on the escaped prisoner from Somalia.

Me, Myself & I (CBS, 9:30 p.m.) – Star Wars connects the different-life Alex(s) tonight as a young Alex sneaks out of the house to watch the movie on the big screen and mid-life Alex is devastated when someone else shows his daughter the film before he can.

Scorpion (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – Paige confronts Happy about the woman’s constant desire to be a third-wheel in her relationship with Walter and the team endures toxic vapor exposure in order to prevent a decommissioned nuclear missile from exploding.

The Brave (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) – An American traitor-turned-terrorist becomes the team’s only hope to save one of their own and prevent an attack on U.S. soil.

The Good Doctor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – Shaun struggles to adapt to life at home but makes big strides in his working relationships at the hospital. Meanwhile, the doctors navigate tricky legal waters when faced with a decision about an unborn child.

The relationship between Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) on House was one fraught with sexual tension. House often directed snide comments his boss’ way and regularly disobeyed her orders while Cuddy got a kind of sick pleasure in constantly forcing the socially averse doctor to treat patients in the hospital’s clinic. Their back and forth made for good television but we couldn’t help but wonder: was there something to be learned from their combative employer/employee relationship? In other words, what can House’s interactions with Cuddy teach us about how to decisively handle our own controlling, irritating, megalomaniac of a boss?

The answer: yes, but be careful. Using these cutting clapbacks comes with some risk.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy: I want you to do your job.

Dr. Gregory House: As philosopher Jagger once said: You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Fox/Giphy

We should’ve known after their first interaction during the series pilot that House had no intention of following Cuddy’s orders. Try as she might to get him to actually care about patients, House was more interested in solving problems, not saving people. And he damn sure didn’t care about the endless empty threats Cuddy threw his way.

House was vital to the hospital, which is why Cuddy put up with some much bullsh*t from the guy, so if you’re not some pathological enigma solving genius, you might want to turn down the snark a bit. On the other hand, if your boss is as much of a pushover as Cuddy was, why not test your limits?Dr. Lisa Cuddy: House, I need you to come to that dinner for two hours, keep your mouth shut, and behave like an adult.

Dr. Gregory House: I have to act like a decent human being, and you know what a strain that puts on me.

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Even when Cuddy and House began dating, the good doctor held onto his rebellious streak. When Cuddy ordered House to attend a dinner with her mom, he instead tried to opt for a night on the couch, in his underwear, drinking Scotch, and watching The Real Housewives.

Assuming you aren’t shacking up with your superior, using the same comeback the next time you’re directed to attend a company function or just play nice with some irritating co-workers might not go over as smoothly but at least you’ll have communicated your complete lack of interest in any future social gatherings.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy: Do you mind if I come in?

Dr. Gregory House: Not at all, do you mind if I leave?

Fox/Giphy

There’s nothing worse than a micro-managing boss, especially one who likes to snoop in on your personal life. Sure Cuddy and House had a romantic connection which explains why she was always checking up on him, making sure he hadn’t overdosed on Vicodin and alcohol, but if a person can’t enjoy getting blackout drunk in the privacy of their own home without their boss crashing the party, what kind of world are we living in?

Maybe your employer isn’t checking in on you after hours, but if they’re the kind of controlling a**hole that likes to barge into your office every 15 minutes to “chat,” feel free to throw this comeback their way.

Dr. Gregory House: Doesn’t sound like me.

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This usually serves as House’s catchall response whenever Cuddy questions his ethics as a doctor. Whether he was fostering a paternity bet on the father of a sick patient or using malaria as a diagnostic tool, House always answered Cuddy’s rhetorical questions the same way – by acting as obtuse as possible.

Of all of the clapbacks on this list, this is one that you can probably get away with while still keeping your job. The next time your boss questions your methods or seems shocked by something you’ve done in the office, just fake a bout of temporary amnesia and walk away.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy: You are not listening to me, are you?

Dr. Gregory House: Try it sometime — you’ll see why.

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House’s acerbic wit was his defining quality and it often showed up in his exchanges with his boss, even when said boss was trying to do him a favor. In the season five premiere, Cuddy tries to mediate between House and Dr. Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) after the two have a falling out. Of course, singing kumbaya over a fire (or over a patient going into cardiac arrest) and sharing feelings isn’t really House’s style so he takes her meddling about as well as can be expected.

If you’ve got a boss who constantly wants affirmation that you’re paying attention to their monotonous drabbles, maybe this mocking reply is something worth having in your arsenal.Dr. Lisa Cuddy: Can we talk about this later?

Dr. Gregory House: Of course… Is now later?

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House and Cuddy’s personal and professional relationship often blurred the line, especially in times of crisis, like when the doctors tried to save a woman trapped under debris after a building collapse. While Cuddy wanted to focus on their patient, House demanded to talk about a gift he had recently given her (and about her short-lived engagement to another man).

We’ve all had important issues to discuss with our employers that seem to be easily shoved aside because said employer is “busy,” or “has a meeting,” or “fill in erroneous excuse here.” Why not just completely take them off guard and respond with this? The worst they can do is say no, right?

Mindhunter (Netflix) – The crime thriller from Charlize Theron and David Fincher follows an FBI agent who begins studying serial killers in order to better understand what drives people to commit terrible crimes.

Supernatural (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Season 13 kicks off with Sam and Dean left picking up the pieces after the death of their mother, Crowley, and Castiel. Meanwhile, Mary must learn to survive an apocalyptic world and Sam and Dean argue over how to raise a Nephilim.

Arrow (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – Season six begins with Oliver recovering and handling the fallout after the explosion on the island.

Gotham (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) — Ra’s Al Ghul proves he’ll take deadly measures to achieve what he wants and Gordon puts the lives of two historians in danger in his quest to investigate the prized knife from the auction.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) – Meredith deals with the fallout from her argument with Nathan while Jackson gets some big news and Maggie finds herself at an awkward dinner.

Superstore (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – Amy goes to Jonah for help when her daughter begins working at Cloud 9 and Dinah and Garrett argue over their breakup.

Mr. Robot (USA, 10:00 p.m.) – Season three begins with Darlene having second thoughts about coming clean and Elliot realizing he needs help with his mission.

Riverdale (CW, 8:00 p.m.) – Season two kicks off with Fred’s life hanging in the balance after the shooting at Pop’s diner. As Archie struggles to keep his emotions in check, Betty and Jughead investigate the attack and Veronica’s dad returns from prison earlier than expected.

Dynasty (CW, 9:00 p.m.) – The Dynasty reboot is here and it begins with Fallon Carrington seeking revenge when her father promotes his new bride-to-be, Cristal, over her to become the COO of his global energy empire.

Empire (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) – Cookie has a flashback to her early money troubles and life in prison when she’s denied a line of credit. Luscious begs his family to tell him how he’s wronged them in order to make amends.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) – One player’s lack of social skills affects their game while another pair begin a romantic relationship.

The Blacklist (NBC, 8:00 p.m.) – The Task Force investigates a series of police shootings while Red enlists Tom’s help in re-establishing his criminal reputation.

The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:00 p.m.) — Coach Mellor and his brother fight and Adam and Barry each side with one of the coaches, prompting Beverly to point out to her sons that this could be them as adults.

Speechless (ABC, 8:30 p.m.) – Maya helps Jimmy take control and Ray invents a fake charity to impress his girlfriend.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) — When a man is found castrated and left for dead, Rollins and Carisi uncover three female suspects with possible motives.

Modern Family (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) – Mitch suspects Cam of railroading his kitchen renovation and Phil worries he’ll have a day full of bad luck after he fails to complete his daily superstitions.

SEAL Team (CBS, 9:00 p.m.) – Clay’s future as a SEAL is in jeopardy after he does poorly on a test and the team tries to rescue a group of researchers being held hostage in the South China Sea.

Star (Fox, 9:00 p.m.) — While preparing for an upcoming TV appearance with recording artist Noah Brooks, the girls quickly learn that they will be singing backup instead of co-headlining the performance.

American Housewife (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) – Greg and Katie help Oliver get over an embarrassing moment in ballet class while Anna-Kat decides to become a vegetarian.

Chicago P.D. (NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — The murder of a young Latina woman takes the investigation team into the grim world of meat processing.

Criminal Minds (CBS, 10:00 p.m.) – The team heads to Detroit to investigate why successful businessmen are being targeted by an anger-driven killer.

Designated Survivor (ABC, 10:00 p.m.) – President Kirkman must stop a viral pandemic from killing millions of Americans while Agent Wells uncovers information that could change the lives of the first family forever.